PSYCHOLOGY AT FHSU

Answering the call for mental health professionals

Mental health professionals are in high demand nationwide. While this is true in almost every state and all types of communities, the smaller rural communities like those in western Kansas are particularly vulnerable to shortages. It has become so difficult to find treatment in many rural communities that professionals have begun referring to some areas as “mental health deserts.” Rural areas have a broad range of needs, including marriage and family therapists, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and school counselors, to name just a few.

The Department of Psychology in Fort Hays State University’s College of Health and Behavioral Sciences is taking steps to meet these needs by graduating students in one of the most popular college majors and connecting them with employment opportunities. This year, the department began an internship program for undergraduates where they can work with various potential future employers. Currently, they have nine partners: the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, Early Childhood Connections, Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas, FHSU’s Health and Wellness Services, KVC, Hays Middle School, Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, Smoky Hill Foundation for Chemical Dependency, and La Crosse High School.

While many undergraduate students find it possible to begin working right after graduation, others continue their studies working toward master’s degrees, various certifications, or even PhDs. This issue features three individuals who have received at least one degree from the psychology department at FHSU and are working toward filling vital roles in mental health and related fields.

Allen Zollinger

Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up, and most will have a ready answer. In fact, their responses often fall within a small range of professions, including doctor/veterinarian, teacher, movie star/musician, business owner, professional athlete, and police officer. Allen Zollinger dreamed of one day becoming a veterinarian, and if that didn’t work out, there was always professional golf.

It wasn’t until he took a high school psychology course that Allen began considering a future in the field of psychology.

“I took a psychology course in high school, and I really liked it,” he said. “My mom is a school psychologist at Hays Middle School, and she may have had a little influence on me.”

Allen completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Fort Hays State in the spring of 2021 and is now in the first year of a master’s program at FHSU with the goal of becoming a school psychologist.

For Allen, the ideas presented in that initial psychology course weren’t just things to read about in a textbook or memorize for the test but something he believed could be applied in his life. When he was young, he played several sports, including golf, skateboarding, and basketball. Even before taking that initial psychology class, he knew how important the right mindset was to success, especially under the pressure of competition.

“When I played sports in high school, a big part of that for me was not only practicing whatever skill or sport I was working on, but also getting into the right mental space. I found psychology to be a good way to do that,” Allen said. “Knowing that someone could work out, practice the skills, be a great player, but without the right mental attitude, fail to achieve their potential, intrigued me.”

These experiences led Allen to the study of psychology as an undergrad, where he continued to find relevance to life outside of the classroom. In his work as a junior golf instructor at Smoky Hill County Club, he helps students work on both the mental and physical aspects of the sport.

“With the older kids, you can start working more on the mental side of things. My coach, and any golfer I know, will admit that half of playing golf is mental,” Allen said. “One of the things I work on with the older kids is positive self-talk. You can’t let one bad shot ruin your round. You have to come back with something positive in your head – replacing the negative thought with something positive to focus on.”

Allen found he also enjoys working with children in settings other than sports. For two years now, he has worked as a para-educator at Hays Middle School.

“I work in one of the special ed classrooms there, and instead of group learning, we are either one-on-one or with two students,” he said. “We help them with whatever subject they are working on. It could be reading, math, social studies, any of their classes.”

Experiences working with youngsters helped Allen choose a path for his future.

“Right now, I’m thinking about getting my EDS and becoming a school psychologist once I finish my master’s degree. I really like working with kids,” he said. “My goal by going into school psychology, and it sounds kind of cliché, is to help make the world a better place. I might not make a lot of money, but I know I will be emotionally rich, knowing I am doing the right thing for the kids.”

Ashley Lockwood

Like most teenagers, Ashley Lockwood didn’t have a specific plan when she graduated from high school. Currently living in Orlando, Fla., and in her second year of a PhD program in criminal justice, she has made significant strides since graduating from her small-town high school in Hoisington. Ashley began this journey by first taking classes at a nearby community college after graduation.

“In high school, I thought I might like to go into law, perhaps become a lawyer, but all that went out the window once I began my college career,” Ashley said. “I actually think that once I took some psychology courses and really enjoyed them, that is when I began considering psychology as a major or career.”

Ashley transferred to Fort Hays State during her sophomore year with the goal of pursuing a degree in psychology.

“FHSU is only about an hour from home, and I had some friends and family that had gone there and enjoyed it,” she said. “FHSU also had a quality psychology department, something that the faculty I had worked with at the community college had talked to me about, and it fit what I was looking for. It also helped that FHSU was affordable. It just made sense to go there.”

When she arrived in Hays, Ashley searched for jobs related to psychology and began working as a recovery worker in the crisis center at High Plains Mental Health Center.

“While this was not part of my degree program, it turned out well because I could observe things we discussed in class while at my job,” she said. “It helped put things into perspective.”

One of the things Ashley liked most about Hays was the sense of community and the friendships she made.

“Hays is such a close-knit community. It was great to be a part of that while I was in college,” she said. “Many of the people I worked with at the mental health center were psychology or social work students. I was able to see them in class and then again at work. We would even go out after work sometimes. Developing those friendships was important, and I am still in touch with a lot of the people I worked with.”

While working on her master’s degree in clinical psychology, Ashley discovered she preferred research over clinical work. She also became interested in the intersection among mental illness, trauma, and the justice system, particularly for juvenile justiceinvolved youth. This led her to seek out programs she was passionate about.

She found one at the University of Central Florida, which has a program with a specific track focusing on juvenile justice, and several professors whose research aligned well with her interests.

Ashley pointed out how her FHSU education prepared her for her doctorate work.

“I had classes, as well as practicum hours, at FHSU. I also became a manager of a research lab that worked with undergraduates where we worked together on various projects and presented at conferences,” she said. “All of this was in addition to my outside work at the mental health center. Learning how to juggle all these things while taking classes helped me with time management. I think having these opportunities before entering my PhD program, learning how to prioritize was really helpful.”

Josh Tanguay

Everyone has impactful moments in their lives, events that shape their future and that they remember for years. No one could have guessed that a summer visit to Fort Hays State would be one of those events for a recent graduate of the psychology program at the University of Maine in Farmington. But that’s what happened to Josh Tanguay.

After having a professor recommend FHSU’s graduate program in psychology, Josh decided to visit. He came out to FHSU the summer after completing his undergraduate degree and met with Dr. Leo Herrman, a professor in the psychology department. Josh was impressed that Dr. Herrman took the time to show him around campus despite the tripledigit Kansas heat that day.

“I thought it was cool that someone, a professor even, would take the time in the summer to meet personally with me,” Josh said. “That was great.”

For Josh, making personal connections has been crucial. As a student, finding mentors able to guide his progress was critical.

“The main reason that I am here, in Kansas, and I elected to stay here, is that I developed close relationships with a couple of mentors, people who have really influenced my life personally and professionally.”

Those mentors included Dr. Jennifer Bonds-Raacke, chair of the psychology department, when he was a student, and Michael Hinton, a local clinician.

“I am still very close to them today,” Josh said, “and that is really what kept me here – those relationships. I knew that I could learn a lot from them.”

Josh completed his master’s in clinical psychology at FHSU in 2012. He began working as an adjunct instructor for the university while continuing his work with children and teens through KVC hospitals. He has since gone on to complete several levels of licensure, serves as a clinical psychologist with services in Hays and Plainville, teaches as a full-time instructor at FHSU, works on the Kansas State Board for LMLP and LCP licensure, and provides numerous trainings, presentations, and workshops throughout the year.

As an instructor, Josh now strives to be the type of mentor to his students that others were for him.

There is a balance between guiding students and telling them what to do.

“I’m big on students ‘finding their own path,’ ” he said. “I work with my advisees, helping them achieve their goals and getting them where they want to go. I talk with a lot of students about taking the time to explore and experience everything their courses, professors, and college has to offer.”

While helping students find their way, Josh believes that working in Kansas as a mental health professional can be very rewarding.

“One of my goals is to try to retain our graduates and keep them in Kansas,” he said. “Kansas is a fantastic place for those who want to work in psychology. There is such a need for mental health professionals that finding a job is not a problem. Picking one job from all the offers is the bigger challenge, as there is just such a need right now. Mental health agencies and organizations are hiring licensed people and holding onto them as much as they can.”

Despite a busy professional life, Josh’s personal life is just as full.

“I have an amazing spouse and a 1-year-old. I maintain a self-care routine, including meditation, reading for relaxation, and exercise,” he said. “I enjoy what I’m doing, try to take care of myself, and have an incredible family. We are going to be here a long time.”