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Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial RECAMFT Scholarship

For Prelicensed and Newly Licensed Members

Welcome to the Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarship Program

Learn how you can support the fund or apply for a scholarship below. You can also learn about our past winners!

Support the Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarship Program

Help us continue empowering pre-licensed and newly licensed clinicians in their professional journey! Our fundraising goal is $4,500, which will be matched dollar for dollar by the RECAMFT Board of Directors to sustain the Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarship Program for the next three years (2025-2027).

Your contribution doubles its impact, directly supporting scholarships that make a meaningful difference in the lives of emerging mental health professionals.

Donate today and be part of this important legacy.

Scholarship Donation goal

7%
Collected: $321.00
Goal: $4,500.00

DONATION FORM HERE (below)

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Apply to The Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial RECAMFT Scholarship Program

Scholarship Details:

  • Two (2) annual awards of $1,000 each, plus a free 1-year RECAMFT membership, for pre-licensed members

  • One (1) annual award of $1,000, plus a free 1-year RECAMFT membership, for newly licensed members (up to three years post-licensure)

Application Timeline:

  • Applications Open: January 1st

  • Application Deadline: May 17th

  • Winners Announced: June Board Meeting

  • Funds Distributed: July

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Current member of CAMFT and RECAMFT

  • Work or reside in Sonoma, Lake, Napa, or Mendocino County

  • Demonstrate financial need

  • Lifetime limit of two scholarships

  • Members of the Scholarships, Grants, and Awards Committee, RECAMFT board members, and their families are ineligible

  • Priority consideration given to underrepresented groups in the mental health field (e.g., BIPOC, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+, elders)

Application Instructions:
Your application must include the following:

  1. A statement about yourself, highlighting your personal and professional background and experience

  2. A statement of financial need, explaining how the scholarship will benefit you

  3. A statement outlining your dedication to the profession and your clinical aspirations

Formatting Guidelines:

  • 1-2 pages total

  • 12-point font, double-spaced, 1" margins

  • Include your full name on the document

  • Submit as a Word (.doc/.docx) or PDF file

Submission:
Email your application to therapy@recamft.org with the subject line:

  • "Pre-Licensed Scholarship Application" OR

  • "Newly Licensed Scholarship Application"

All submissions are due by May 17th.


RECAMFT leaf logo


About the Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarship Program

The Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarship Program was established in 2021 to honor the Wards and their legacy of generosity to our chapter. Initially, the program aimed to fund three annual scholarships over three years, with the RECAMFT Board providing 50% of the initial $9,000 funding goal and members contributing the remainder. Thanks to the support of our community, this vision became a reality.

In 2024, the RECAMFT Board renewed the program for an additional three years, continuing its commitment to supporting prelicensed and newly licensed members in their professional journey.

Joseph "Joe" and Pamela Ward
A decade of service to RECAMFT

Joe and Pam Ward each served as RECAMFT's Administrative Consultant starting with Pam in Sept. 2012. She served until her death in Dec. 2016. Joe seamlessly took over after Pam until his death in Oct. 2021. It was thanks to Joe that RECAMFT began filming our presentations beginning in 2013 leading to a very healthy collection of videos over the years, and putting RECAMFT on the map as the only CAMFT chapter offering this unique service at the time. 

Joe and Pam had three adopted children, two daughters, Jannea and Simone, and a son, Andrew. Pam ran an adoption agency, and avidly believed in helping children by adopting them to good homes. They have one grandson. 

"I think it is amazing you are considering setting up a scholarship program in my parents' honor. Our family would be honored. I know my parents would love for that to be a legacy they leave behind and to continue to empower and support others' growth."

-- Andrew Ward, son of Joe and Pam Ward


2024 Scholarship Winners Announced!

We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year's scholarships, recognizing two outstanding Associate LMFTs in the mental health field.

Noemi Degante BlancasNoemi Degante Blancas, M.A., AMFT & APCC is a bilingual, bicultural psychotherapist and a graduate of UCSF. Currently working at Humanidad Therapy & Education Services, Noemi is a staunch advocate for immigrant rights. She plans to become a supervisor and eventually open a private practice dedicated to supporting the undocumented immigrant community. Noemi's dedication to advancing equity in mental health services, especially for marginalized populations, underscores her exceptional contributions to the field.

Hila CohenHila (Emanuel) Cohen, AMFT is a bilingual therapist raised in Israel, with a multicultural background from Iranian and Moroccan parents. She specializes in working with trauma, particularly in children, and currently practices at Lomi Mental Health Clinic. Hila plans to use the scholarship funds to pursue advanced EMDR training, with a focus on treating children. Her commitment to healing and her deep understanding of cultural nuances make her a vital resource for the communities she serves.



Excerpt from the September 2023 Redwood Empire Therapist Newsletter...

Announcing the 2023 Winners of the Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial RECAMFT Scholarship

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of The Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial RECAMFT Scholarship for 2023! Congratulations to Erin Prieskorn, LMFT, Nicole Penrod, AMFT, and Diana Northness, LMFT!

Erin Prieskorn, LMFTErin Prieskorn, LMFT was recently licensed in January and is a Sonoma County native with a passion for helping local clients with chronic health conditions as well as those impacted by disasters and PTSD. Erin is currently developing skills for an integrative mind, body, and acceptance-based therapy for these clients while pursuing ACT training and publishing a workbook.


Nicole Penrod, AMFTNicole Penrod, AMFT graduated from SSU in December 2022 and is an Associate in private practice. Their greatest joy is helping clients move through challenging transitions and cultivating their own voice. Nicole is a bicultural, bilingual, trans/non-binary clinician who works from a racial and social justice framework and specializes in work with creatives and the LGBTQ+ community.


Diana Northness, LMFT recently completed her first year in private practice. Diana treats children as young as 4 with years of experience in play therapy and attachment therapy. She is currently in the process of becoming certified in Brainspotting and would like to invest in more trauma training.

Excerpt from the October 2022 Redwood Empire Therapist Newsletter...

Congratulations to RECAMFT's first award recipients of the Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarships!

Bree Watson, AMFT and Claudia Hernandez, AMFT were each awarded one year memberships to RECAMFT and $1000!

Bree WatsonBree Watson (she/they) has spent the past 3 years working with youth and families experiencing trauma and wants to become EMDR certified to help them heal. Their mission is to help LGBTQ+ clients feel supported and validated for who they are. They attended CIIS and currently practice at The Petaluma People Services Center.

Claudia HernandezClaudia Hernandez (she/her) is a first generation daughter of Mexican immigrants. She has worked on Skid Row as a Case Manager for unhoused Los Angeles residents with severe mental illnesses and trauma. Her experiences there planted the seed of becoming a therapist and she enrolled at SSU. She is excited to do research on mental health and the Latinx community and to reduce negative cultural stigmas. She currently practices at SOS Counseling Center.




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