When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Carla (Salomonsen) Klein ’72 (ED) was alarmed to see the devastating effect it was having on children.
“Here in my own neighborhood, I saw how people wanted to help their kids during COVID. They saw that their children lacked the drive to study and complete assignments. I saw how the children were doubting themselves, feeling bad about themselves,” says Klein, a retired elementary school teacher from Trumbull.
“This made me realize we have to do something to support the counseling professionals, who were flooded with children and parents who needed support and understanding,” she says.
Spurred to action, Klein reached out to the UConn Foundation to figure out how she could help. She wanted to find a way to support and safeguard the mental health and development of children. She decided to help fund a new UConn Neag School of Education program that is bringing more licensed counselors into Connecticut schools.
The new Licensed Professional Counselor program is an online summer graduate program that gives counselors more training and the opportunity to earn a certificate to advance in their careers.
Klein supported the program with a $250,000 gift to provide scholarships to counselors, making the program accessible to a broader range of students.
“I hope my support will lead to more feet on the ground, more hands helping children,” Klein says. “Things have calmed down post-COVID, but we can still see the effects. We need to be constantly aware that these kids will need support going forward. The more people who can provide counseling for kids and their families, the better off we will be.”
Klein’s gift helps address a statewide mental healthcare worker shortage. Connecticut currently only meets 19.5 percent of the state’s mental health needs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The situation is so severe that Gov. Ned Lamont has called on all state higher education institutions to produce more mental health professionals.
The year-old UConn program is already having an impact. Last summer, 12 students graduated from the program. School psychologist Katherine Matos, of Waterbury, is currently in the program.
“As a first-generation Latina student passionate about advancing my education, I am profoundly grateful for this scholarship support,” Matos says. “This gift not only alleviates financial barriers but honors the dedication and dreams of students like me who aspire to make a difference in mental health.”
Program Director Sara Renzulli says Klein’s gift has been “transformative.”
“Carla is putting money into an area that desperately needs funding in the state. Many people talk about the importance of mental health, especially children’s mental health. But Carla is putting funding behind it and is helping to provide well-trained counselors every year who are going to serve Connecticut’s population,” says Renzulli, assistant professor-in-residence in the Counselor Education Program. “We’re doing our part to make a dent in the counselor shortage in the state.”
“This innovative graduate program furthers the Neag School’s mission to improve educational and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all,” Dean Jason G. Irizarry says. “The powerful combination of Carla’s generosity and our faculty’s expertise positions the program’s graduates well to improve the quality of life for people across the state of Connecticut and beyond.”
Dorothea Anagnostopoulos, associate dean for academic affairs, says she is grateful for Klein’s thoughtful support.
“Her gift is having a direct impact on the lives of Connecticut children,” Anagnostopoulos says. “She is putting more licensed counselors in Connecticut schools, addressing a statewide need.”
Klein’s gift is intended to provide scholarship support over five years. The program is currently looking for additional philanthropic support from other donors who want to help address the mental health crisis.
Donate to the Klein Family Licensed Professional Counselor Program Fund on the UConn Foundation website.
