Tim Schulte ('94M), ('99D)

Tim has had a long-standing interest in helping people to realize their life goals. He started out as a linguist, teaching English as a second language and later transitioned to working with families through the Department of Social Services. To help him in his work with children and families, Tim obtained a M.A. and Ed.S. in counseling psychology at JMU. After working in social services for many years, he began in-home counseling to help families stay together and keep children in their homes. This work motivated Tim to further develop his understanding of the mental health needs of families and children. "I thought there was more that we could be doing for children," he says. "I needed to learn more." He returned to the classroom and was one of the early graduates of JMU's doctor of psychology program. Following an internship and residency to complete his doctoral program, Tim became a faculty member in the Department of Graduate Psychology and later became the director for two training clinics at JMU. Counseling and Psychological Services pairs the expertise of JMU psychology faculty and graduate students with local residents in need of affordable mental health care. Interprofessional Services for Learning Assessment provides collaborative help for JMU students who are facing challenges to academic success. Both programs have flourished under Tim's leadership, and they embody his desire to make interprofessional collaboration the norm for health care management.

"My dream is to realize a system where the mental health needs of all people are a regular part of their total health care. Health care has become so fragmented, and my vision is to find ways for the health professions to work together and make mental health and medical care part of an integrated care system for the whole person."