UNC Asheville junior April L. Jones was recently named a recipient of the Governor's Institute on Substance and Alcohol Abuse Scholarship. Jones was among only nine college juniors, seniors and first-year graduate students in North Carolina selected for the scholarship, which includes a $1,500 stipend and travel expenses to attend seminars in Raleigh, N.C.

Jones, 19, is a psychology major who plans to go into private practice as a clinical psychologist. She has volunteered with the Buncombe County Drug Treatment Court and Adult Probation and Parole. Jones will participate in the two-year Students Leaders and Mentorship Program, based in Raleigh, which will include sessions on substance abuse, mental health, and leadership and management training. The Governors Institute on Alcohol and Substance Abuse is attempting to build a stronger workforce of substance abuse counselors in North Carolina.

"I'm looking forward to the leadership and career development training," said Jones. "When I spoke with the program's director, I learned I would have the opportunity to meet people I wouldn't normally get to meet such as directors of federal funded programs regarding substance abuse. It'll be a great way to network."

The program falls under the North Carolina Practice Improvement Collaborative at the Governor's Institute. The collaborative is designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of the substance abuse service delivery in North Carolina by creating a partnership between clinicians, client advocates, policymakers and researchers. Founded in 1990, the Governor's Institute on Substance and Alcohol Abuse is a non-profit organization based in Raleigh that assists health professionals in addressing health problems related to substance abuse, misuse and dependency.