Preparing the next generation of behavioral health professionals.

PILLAR is committed to strengthening the future of healthcare in our community. As a training center for future behavioral health professionals, we help prepare the next generation of providers while encouraging them to remain in our community and help address the significant shortage of behavioral health services in South Texas.

For more than 10 years, PILLAR has partnered with Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and other universities in San Antonio that offer master’s-level counseling programs to help prepare the next generation of behavioral health professionals. Through these longstanding partnerships, PILLAR provides students with opportunities to complete their clinical practicum and internship requirements in a supportive, community-based setting while gaining meaningful experience working with diverse populations and real-world behavioral health needs.

PILLAR provides clinical supervision, mentorship, and hands-on training that allow counseling interns to develop and refine the skills they learn in their academic programs. Under the guidance of qualified clinical professionals, interns have opportunities to strengthen their assessment, counseling, documentation, treatment planning, case management, crisis intervention, and professional communication skills. This experience helps students transition from classroom learning to competent, ethical, and culturally responsive clinical practice.

At the same time, these partnerships expand access to high-quality behavioral health services for members of the Laredo and surrounding communities. Interns contribute to the delivery of counseling and supportive services while receiving ongoing supervision and guidance, allowing PILLAR to extend its capacity to serve individuals and families who may otherwise face barriers to behavioral healthcare. This creates a mutually beneficial model in which students gain essential clinical experience while community members gain access to compassionate, accessible behavioral health services.

PILLAR views its role as a clinical training site as an important investment in the future of behavioral healthcare in South Texas. By helping develop skilled and well-prepared counseling professionals, PILLAR hopes to encourage interns to recognize the significant behavioral health needs that exist in underserved communities and consider continuing their careers in the region. For more than a decade, these university partnerships have helped PILLAR strengthen the local behavioral health workforce, expand access to care, and create a lasting pipeline of professionals committed to serving their communities.