The Behavioral Health Scholarship Program, launched in 2024, offers up to $35,000 scholarships to support students pursuing careers in behavioral health. Applications close on February 13th.
Applications for a state scholarship program aimed at bolstering California 's behavioral health workforce will close on Thursday, February 13th. Launched in 2024 by the state's Department of Health Care Access and Information, the Behavioral Health Scholarship Program offers scholarships up to $35,000 to support students pursuing careers as community health workers, substance use specialists, case managers, and other behavioral health roles.
The need for additional behavioral health professionals is significant. San Diego County, for instance, estimated that the region would require 18,500 more behavioral health workers by 2027 to meet current demand. This shortage affects all levels of the workforce, from entry-level positions to practitioners, providers, and clinicians. Ben Gamache, a policy analyst for the Department of Health Care Access and Information, highlighted this widespread need. A similar state scholarship program focused on addressing the school counselor shortage has proven successful in increasing mental health support staff in schools. This initiative has already helped place 18 certified wellness coaches in schools across San Diego County, according to Gamache. The Behavioral Health Scholarship Program expands this support by placing professionals in clinics, community centers, and other mental health care settings beyond schools. Officials are prioritizing scholarship applicants who speak high-demand Medi-Cal languages such as Spanish, Chinese, and Punjabi to improve culturally competent care and ensure patients from diverse backgrounds receive support from providers who understand their language and culture. Kirstin Poliska, an intake manager with Sharp Healthcare, emphasized the importance of representation in mental health care. 'Being seen and being heard and being represented is such an integral part of what it takes to recover,' she stated. 'Anything that we can do to pull people into the field as widely and broadly as we can, so that it is representative of the people that are seeking the services. It's the best possible thing that we can do.' The scholarship program mandates recipients to commit to at least one year of service in an underserved area after completing their training. Poliska explained that this requirement offers a dual benefit: helping new professionals enter the field while simultaneously addressing workforce shortages in high-need areas. Officials are hopeful that the program will encourage more individuals to pursue behavioral health careers and help fill critical gaps in mental health services statewide
Behavioral Health Scholarship Program Workforce Shortage Mental Health Care California
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