EDITOR'S NOTE: Friends University agreed to take questions from KMUW on its plans for the marriage and family therapy (MFT) program. A spokesperson for Friends said the university and the MFT program's leadership teams answered the questions collectively. Those questions and answers can be found in full here.
Friends University is planning a major overhaul of its marriage and family therapy (MFT) program, sparking concerns that it could impact the availability of mental health services in Wichita and the surrounding area.
Starting in fall 2028, Friends is combining the MFT programs at the Wichita campus and the university's Kansas City Education Center. From then on, students who want to participate in the graduate-level therapy program will have to do so through a hybrid instruction model.
Friends said the program will consist primarily of online instruction, supplemented by two in-person residencies. It's not clear yet if those residencies would be in Wichita or Kansas City.
In its decision, Friends cited declining enrollment. The university said the state of Kansas has eased regulations to let people who have graduated through online programs apply for licensure — increasing the number of other universities with which Friends has to compete for students.
"We hope the new hybrid format of the program will allow us to increase enrollment, which will provide additional support for community agencies," university officials said in a statement to KMUW.
"Over the next two years, the MFT faculty will be working together to ensure the excellence of the program continues, and to position the program to draw students regionally."
“We hope the new hybrid format of the program will allow us to increase enrollment ...”
Friends also said it will continue to offer internships in a variety of local settings, including the school's Center on Family Living Clinic.
Still, some practitioners in Wichita worry the change could mean a less rigorous program and fewer mental health providers in the area.
"We're really trying to build a pipeline into the field, not limit people from going into the field," said Michelle Calvert, director of quality and certified community behavioral health clinics for Sedgwick County's COMCARE.
As part of the program, second-year students each offer 500 hours of therapy services at various local clinics, often at no cost or a steeply discounted rate.
That setup provides mental health services to people who otherwise might not be able to afford it, while helping prepare students for a future career in therapy.
After graduation, many of those same students get jobs at agencies like COMCARE as they earn hours toward a clinical license.
Since the COVID pandemic, though, Calvert said there's been a drop in the number of people seeking careers in mental health.
"We're still rebounding from that, so to lose the MFT program [as it currently exists] is going to be a problem," she said.
The overhaul of the Friends program comes at a time when city and county officials are pushing for more mental health services. The state is also building a new regional mental health hospital in Sedgwick County, which is expected to open by 2027.
Calvert said recent Friends graduates make great hires at COMCARE.
"MFT students are so well trained, especially here, through [Friends]," she said. "They're just so, so good at the work that they do. So that's going to be a real loss to our community."
Declining program enrollment
Across both the Wichita and Kansas City campuses, Friends said there are currently 122 students enrolled in the MFT program. The university projects about 70 to 75 total students enrolled next year.
The university also reports a drop in the number of new students enrolling year over year. In 2021, the university said 67 new students enrolled at both sites. That number dropped to 46 new students by 2025. The university projects that it will drop to 40 new students this fall.
"Our enrollment dropped significantly in fall 2025 and is likely to be even lower in fall 2026," the university said.
Friends said switching to a hybrid instruction model is aimed at reversing that trend by drawing in students regionally.
But some students and alumni worry that online instruction won't be as effective at preparing students for a career and could prove detrimental to the program's enrollment.
Seth Hock is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist in Wichita. He graduated from the MFT program in 2017.
"There wouldn't be a huge appetite for [a hybrid program], I imagine, and I think it would slowly create a market where we just do not have the kind of mental health support that our community needs," he said.
Hock said the cohort model — in which students collaborate with the same group of peers from enrollment until graduation — is a major benefit of having the program in person.
"Being a part of a system week in and week out, where you're in community with people, sitting with them, having to hear and feel the energy of the people sitting next to you," he said. "I think those are some essential pieces that really do enrich a program."
"Would you get everything you need (through hybrid instruction)? Maybe. Would it be as enriching? Probably not."
“... I think it would slowly create a market where we just do not have the kind of mental health support that our community needs.”
The program is professionally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, or COAMFTE.
Friends said the accreditation process will ensure the program's quality and rigor will remain.
"We believe this change in delivery format will enable Friends University to continue to provide a significant number of well-trained mental health professionals who can serve their local communities."
Questions about motivation behind the change
When Friends announced the program change, some students and alumni questioned whether it could stem from an intent to align course offerings with the university's mission as a Christian school.
MFT is unique from other forms of therapy in that it has a focus on systems, family units and relationships. While that often means therapists work with groups of patients, the philosophy also informs how they approach individual therapy.
There's an emphasis on inclusivity, setting aside the therapist's personal biases and supporting people of all backgrounds — an approach baked into MFT accreditation requirements.
Liz Kolodziej is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Wichita. She graduated from the program in July.
"In addition to being affirming of queer folk, we also have to affirm all religion and spiritualities," Kolodziej said. "If our client comes in and practices a different spirituality, we're ethically obligated to engage with clients in that way."
Some worry the program is being targeted because of that philosophy, and that it could ultimately be replaced with a more Christian-focused program — especially amid recent anti-diversity efforts at the state and federal level.
Asked about those concerns, Friends said it has no plans to replace the MFT program with a Christian program or otherwise.
"Friends University is a Christian university and we integrate faith in our curriculum and cocurricular activities. However, this is a secular program."
Kolodziej spoke highly of the program at Friends but also said she "wasn't surprised" to hear the news about the overhaul based on some of her experiences as a student.
That includes seeing the resignation of multiple faculty members in the program, some of whom told KAKE News they felt pressured by university administration because the program wasn't "Christian enough."
Kolodziej said it's important for the program to adhere to MFT ethics and accreditation standards, even at a Christian university. She said she sometimes encounters potential patients who are already hesitant because she graduated from Friends.
"Since graduating, there have been quite a few calls I've gotten from people saying, 'Look, I'd like to come see you, but I need to know: are you Christian, and are you going to try and turn me into a Christian?'"
No anticipated layoffs
Because the MFT program will be primarily online, Friends said no faculty members would need to relocate to Kansas City as part of the overhaul.
The university also said it does not intend to cut faculty positions as part of the plan.
"However, as with all programs, our staffing ratios depend on the number of students in the program," the university said.
The shift to a hybrid model will also coincide with the end of a stipend program for MFT students.
In March, Friends received more than $967,000 through the Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. About a quarter-million of those dollars go toward stipends for MFT students.
"The stipends provide support to students while they are completing their clinical placements, as the time commitment for both course work and clinical work makes it difficult for students to maintain employment during that phase of the program," the university said.
That funding will be available through spring 2028, the semester before Friends plans to shift the MFT program to a hybrid format.
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