Behavioral Health Workforce Development

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is committed to statewide expansion of California’s behavioral health peer-run workforce, as well as all other behavioral health professions, to improve consumer access to and productive participation in behavioral health services throughout the state. As part of this commitment, DHCS contracted with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), to implement the Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD) project.

The grant elements of this effort are:

• Expanding Peer Organization Capacity (EPOC; launched July 21, 2021, applications now closed)
• Peer Workforce Investment (PWI; launched June 3, 2021, applications now closed)
• Behavioral Health (BH) Mentored Internship Program (MIP) – (RFA Announced January 14, 2022. Applications now open)

More than 100 behavioral health grantees are expected to be funded between July 2021 and mid-February 2023. Grantees will receive intensive training and technical assistance (TTA) during this period, before the BHWD funding from SAMHSA closes.

California’s peer-run behavioral health programs are well positioned to support the overall expansion of the state’s behavioral health workforce and move closer to its goal of equity in behavioral health services for every county:

• Through their pivotal role of facilitating access to care, retention of services, delivery of recovery supports, and advocacy for fellow consumers throughout recovery, and
• The expansion of and enhanced collaboration with health care, social services, and other systems.