The opportunity to student abroad is unique and special and JaQuitha LeDuff and few of her Ohio University cohorts will have the opportunity to do just that in Tuscany, Italy.

LeDuff, a 2009 graduate of Linden High School, will travel to Tuscany from May 19 through June 4 to examine the demands for mental health services, the scope of services within each profession and issues concerning access to, cost of and payment for services.

While in Italy, LeDuff will also explore and compare the scope of services within the primary mental health profession of psychology, social work and counseling.

The Linden native will cross culturally review topics such as education and training, ethics, professional identity and psychotherapy practice. In addition, study historical developments, critical issues in governmental policies and funding for services.

Through lectures and structured site visits, LeDuff will develop an appreciation for the differences and similarities of the professional roles and identities of psychologists and the context in which each profession is practiced in Italy and the United States.

LeDuff will stay the entire two weeks in the same room in a magnificent 14th century villa that features a spectacular view of the Tuscany hillside. Visits to a small Italian village are possible that provide a flavor of Italy that can only be experienced in the rural countryside.

In addition, major cities in Tuscany will be visited, including two days in the culturally rich city of Florence.

After graduating from Alabama State University with a bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Services in 2013, LeDuff moved on to OU in Athens, Ohio as a graduate student majoring in Clinical Mental Health and Rehabilitation Counseling.