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Expanding California’s Behavioral Health Workforce
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The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is expanding California’s behavioral health 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.

As of March 2022, 184 grantees have been awarded funds that support the expansion of their behavioral health operations. Grantees are also supported in other ways including this customized platform providing learning and development resources.

The Growing Reach of California's behavioral health workforce

Below is an interactive map showing over 100 grantee locations throughout California. Grantees are operating unique mental and behavioral health practices all over the state. Funds from the grant give providers the power to have greater reach, support more people, and ensure coverage no matter where in California you are.

News and Events

EPOC grantee Sacramento Youth Center aims to deliver a quality space for youth to find support, services and healthy peer community.
Logo of Sac Youth Center
PWI grantee Consumers Self Help Center aims to bridge the gap between the community and behavioral health by meeting people where they are at, through field-based outreach, compassion, and cultural competency.
Consumers Self Help Logo
The California Association of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations (CAMHPRO) a consumer-run organization made up of other established, independent, and successful consumer-run organizations, and individual consumer members, joined our grantee coaches for an interview.
Logo of CAMHPRO
PWI/EPOC Grantee One New Heartbeat, an organization that provides education and support on personal wellbeing, joined our grantee coaches for an interview.
Logo of One New Heartbeat against blue and yellow gradient
PWI/EPOC Grantee the Happier Life Project, a recovery community organization, joined our grantee coaches for an interview.
Logo of The Happier Life Project
PWI/EPOC grantee the Central California LGBTQ+ Collaborative for Well-Being, an association dedicated to Education, Advocacy, and Training for inclusion of all members of the community, sat down for an interview with our grantee coaches.
Video thumbnail displays the question: What was the main driving force or gap in services that led to this program initiative?
Attention MIP Grantees!: While we eagerly await the launch of our MIP Private Website, please visit our public facing site where you will be able to find program updates, upcoming event information, previously-held presentation materials and more!
CARS Reports
Review the newly released findings and recommendations from the fall 2021 California Behavioral Health Workforce Assessment survey!
Two Adults Reviewing Document
The Community Services Division of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) awarded $51.5 million on March 10, 2022, to its newest Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD) program—the Mentored Internship Program (MIP).
Woman helping man on computer at library

Grants & Funding

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.

CalMHSA Peer Certification

CalMHSA’s Peer Certification Site is now live! In California, this creates a new provider and service type eligible for Medi-Cal reimbursement through the county mental health and behavioral health plans.

 

SPAC-UCLA Lecture Series

SAPC-UCLA will host a presentation and panel discussion on Effectively Integrating Peer Workers into Substance Use Service Systems on June 24, 2022, 10:00 AM – 1:15 PM PDT. This event will focus on how to define and support peer workers’ role, values, and ethics in the context of collaborating successfully with those in established, clinical roles.

Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification Manual

CalMHSA has also published their Medi-CAL Peer Support Specialist Certification Manual. Certification under this policy is designed for individuals who are 18 years of age or older, who self-identify as having lived experience with the process of recovery from mental illness, substance use disorder, or both, either as a consumer of these services or as the parent or family member of the consumer. 

Link to manual