Advancing workforce diversity and clinical readiness among HBCU and PWI students: a descriptive program evaluation of the United States therapist recruitment fellowship pilot (2023–2025)

Fellowship programs improve trainees’ clinical readiness; however, data regarding measurable skills and confidence gains are needed. This study used pre- and post-evaluations to assess fellows’ self-reported confidence changes in key clinical and professional domains, with participants from either historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or predominantly White institutions. Paired analyses showed significant pre–post improvements in biopsychosocial measures, group therapy, private practice, and overall confidence. Limited paired post-program data among HBCU fellows prevented emphasis on pre–post-change score comparisons by institution type. Continued evaluation will strengthen subgroup analyses and support future studies on institutional context and equity-related outcomes.