Commentary

Mental Health Org Runs Scholarship for ‘BIPOC’ Clinicians

  • By Do No Harm Staff
  • May 19, 2025

The Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association (MEDA) is running a scholarship program directed toward “BIPOC” students looking to work in the treatment of eating disorders.

The “Memorial Scholarship Fund for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)” provides “training scholarships” to Masters and Doctoral level students pursuing a degree in “social work, psychology, or mental health counseling or nutrition and who have a special interest in working with eating disorder recovery,” according to the program description.

The program, started in 2021, awards students “$500-$5,000 per year” to be used for tuition, housing, travel, books, and other living expenses. 

As the program description states, “BIPOC” is an acronym commonly used to refer to individuals who are black, Indigenous, and/or other “persons of color.”

The program’s eligibility criteria do not explicitly include membership of a certain racial group, according to an archived version of the application, but do make clear that the program is intended to increase racial diversity and that the program is intended to support “BIPOC” students.

Additionally, the application requires applicants to enter their race.

“MEDA is committed to increasing the number of trained BIPOC social workers and mental health counselors, so we will be better able to identify and treat all individuals struggling with eating disorders,” the application states.

The suggestion implicit in this sentence is that diversity among social workers and mental health professionals will improve health outcomes for patients; this notion is not supported by the existing evidence.

 “We are committed to increasing the racial and ethnic diversity in the field of eating disorders by providing tangible financial support for BIPOC students,” the application continues.

Here, the discriminatory undertones are more evident. Why not all students? Why just “BIPOC” students?

If MEDA wants to maximize its positive impact, it should reward the most capable students with its scholarship funds, and not the students who happen to be of certain racial backgrounds.