The CSPP MHSA Fellowship Program at Alliant

An awardee may receive up to $15,000 to repay educational loans over a two-year period. An awardee commits to practicing and providing direct care in a publicly funded or public mental health facilty, a non-profit mental health facility, and in a mental health professions shortage area.

Technical Assistance to Applicants is scheduled for February 23, 2009 from 5:30 to 6:30PM. You must register to be on that call since they only have 100 persons on the line.

1) MHSA (Prop 63) Funded

Registered or Licensed Psychologists, Registered or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and Registered or Licensed Clinicial Social Workers in California.

2) CA Funded through CA Licensing Board

Using the same application will be automatically considered for loan assumption under the other funding source. In this case 37 grants were given out last year at about $10,000 each.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The most qualified applicants will be selected in the areas of California with the greatest workforce need. Priority consideration will be given to those applicants best suited to meet the cultural and linguistic needs and demands of consumers, based on the applicant meeting one or more of the following

Criteria:

● Work Experience - mental health related work experience in a MHPSA or qualified facility and have received significant training in cultural and linguistic competence.

● Cultural and Linguistic Competence - applicants ability to understand and respond effectively to the cultural and linguistic needs brought by consumers to mental healthcare encounters.

● Career Goals - professional goals for the next five (5) to ten (10) years.

● Community Service - volunteer and/or professional service in the community.

● Community Background - family structure, socio-economic background, and community where the applicant grew up.

● Fluency - fluency in a language other than English must be verified on the Employment or Volunteer Verification Form.

Priority will be given to those applicants whose community background and commitment indicates the likelihood of long-term employment in a qualified facility or MHPSA even after the service obligation has ended and who have completed significant training in cultural and linguistic competence.

Awards are made on a competitive basis. Each part of the application must be completed. All supporting documentation must be submitted by the appropriate deadline. Only complete applications will be evaluated. The Foundation may not notify individuals if their application is incomplete.

LOAN REPAYMENT ELIGIBILITY

“Licensed mental health service provider” means a psychologist licensed by the Board of Psychology; registered psychologist; postdoctoral psychological assistant; postdoctoral psychology trainee employed in an exempt setting pursuant to Section 2910 of the Business and Professions Code, or employed pursuant to a Department of Mental Health waiver pursuant to Section 5751.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code; licensed marriage and family therapist; marriage and family therapist intern; licensed clinical social worker; associate clinical social worker; licensed psychiatrist, registered psychiatrist, licensed psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and registered mental health nurse practitioner.

Mental health service providers awarded under this program must complete a two (2) year service obligation to practice as a full-time mental health profession in a MHPSA or qualified facility of California providing direct patient care. “Full-time” means a regular work week of not less than 32 hours.

“Direct patient care” means the provision of healthcare services directly to individuals being treated for, or suspected of having, physical or mental illness.

Direct patient care includes preventative care. The first line supervision of direct patient care shall be considered “direct patient care.”

An applicant who has signed a contract or written agreement with another entity to practice their mental health profession in exchange for financial assistance, including tuition reimbursement, scholarship, loans, or loan repayment, shall be ineligible to receive a loan repayment until the obligation to this other entity has been fulfilled.

Awardees may reapply for an additional loan repayment award at the completion of their two (2) year service obligation. Awardees shall not be awarded more than two (2) contracts.