Behavioral Health Grants

The Behavioral Health Expansion Program (BHEP) is funded through the Social Work Education Capacity Expansion (SWECE) grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to recruit, train, and place social workers to meet the behavioral health needs of the Northern California Superior Region across four academic years (Fall 2023 – Spring 2027). The BHEP provides twelve current and incoming MSW students for the 2026-2027 academic year, up to a $10,000 financial stipend for the awarded academic year and does not have a post-graduation service obligation.

Awardees will receive stipends in two disbursements:

• $5,000 at the beginning of the fall semester
• $5,000 at the beginning of the spring semester

The Behavioral Health Expansion Program (BHEP) is CLOSED. The eligibility requirements are below:

• Are current and incoming MSW students for the 2026-2027 school year
• Entered their practicum training year of MSW study in good academic standing
• Represent historically underserved communities in one of the 18 Northern California Superior Region counties: Del Norte, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, and Yuba
• Are committed to providing behavioral health services to children, youth through the age of 25, and their families/caregivers, and/or are students who have utilized behavioral health services in under-resourced and underserved communities in Northern California

Student Requirements:

• Must complete their 2026-2027 field placement at an agency or organization that provides direct behavioral health services to children, youth, families, and young adults through the age of 25 in under-resourced and underserved communities in one of the 18 Northern California Superior Region counties
• Must participate in ALL BHEP orientation, meetings, events, training/practice labs, and other academic and field placement activities during the awarded period
• Must participate in ongoing MSW BHEP program evaluation as required by the Principal Investigator

Must be committed to providing behavioral health services in the service region post-graduation.

The Behavioral Health Expansion Program (BHEP) application for the 2026-2027 cohort is CLOSED.

The application will include the following:

1. MSW BHEP application

The MSW Behavioral Health Program (BHP) admissions committee will ONLY review completed applications. Applications received after the due date will not be reviewed. Students will be notified of the status of their application within one week from the submission deadline. Selected candidates will be tentatively interviewed starting on May 1, 2026. Students accepted into the MSW BHEP are required to sign an agreement contract, attend an in-person an orientation on August 19, 2026, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, and participate in ALL MSW BHEP meetings, including Zoom and in-person trainings on campus.

NOTE: Paid employment or agency stipends/financial awards do not preclude your participation in this program. The exceptions are current Title IV-E, Public Behavioral Health and Adult and Aging Services MSW Training Program participants, and those receiving direct funding support from any other HCAI administered training, stipend, or scholarship program.

If you would like further information about MSW BHEP, please contact Judy Vang, Program Coordinator at tvang@csuchico.edu

ackground

In the summer of 2024, the Chico State School of Social Work received the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) grant (7/1/2024–6/30/2029) to create a bilingual training program aimed at increasing the number of Spanish- and Hmong-speaking bilingual and bicultural clinical providers in the North State.

Purpose

The Bilingual Bridges Behavioral Health Training Program aims to:

• Educate and prepare bilingual Spanish- and Hmong-speaking MSW students to provide clinical behavioral health services to children, youth, and their families through age 25.
• Recruit culturally and linguistically diverse MSW students that reflect the sociodemographic and other characteristics of underserved and historically excluded groups in the North State.
• Implement a bilingual program to train and enhance the skills of Spanish- and Hmong-speaking MSW students in delivering culturally and linguistically responsive behavioral health services to their communities.

Stipend Award

Recipients of the Bilingual Bridges Behavioral Health Training Program will receive a stipend to support their academic and training activities.

• Full-time students: Up to $25,000 for the academic year
  • Up to $12,500 disbursed mid- to late fall term
  • Up to $12,500 disbursed during spring term
• Half-time students: $12,500 for the academic year
  • Up to $6,250 disbursed mid- to late fall term
  • Up to $6,250 disbursed during spring term

There is NO post-graduation service obligation tied to this stipend, but the expectation is that recipients will utilize their training to serve the North State post-graduation.

he Bilingual Bridges Behavioral Health Training Program seeks bilingual Spanish- and Hmong-speaking MSW students who demonstrate:

• Interest in and commitment to learning about the issues, challenges, and needs specific to behavioral health care practice in public service settings within their cultural and linguistic communities.
• Linguistic and cultural competencies that align with the needs of underserved and historically excluded communities in Northern California.
• Strong and sustained commitment to social work careers in California’s behavioral health care systems, programs, and settings in Northern California.

Eligibility

The application is open to Spanish- and Hmong-speaking MSW students who are:

1. Enrolled in the Chico State MSW program as full-time, part-time, or advanced standing students, in face-to-face or hybrid formats.
2. Matched or matching with practicum placements for the training year in behavioral health care sites/programs.
3. Not receiving funding support from Title IV-E, Behavioral Health Expansion Program, Public Behavioral Health and Aging and Adult Services MSW Training Program, or any other HCAI-administered training, stipend, or scholarship program.

MSW students may participate in the Bilingual Bridges Behavioral Health Training Program for up to three academic years, but acceptance for one year does not guarantee acceptance for additional years.

Once accepted into the Bilingual Bridges Behavioral Health Training Program, recipients must sign a Student Agreement acknowledging the following:

1. Completing their practicum placement in the North State.
2. Working in an agency/organization that provides behavioral health services to underserved communities within the following 22 counties: Amador, Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba.
3. Attending all required meetings, trainings, workshops, and learning communities.
   • Biweekly learning communities
   • Monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) meetings, trainings, and workshops
4. Participating in ongoing program evaluation during schooling and for at least one-year post-graduation.
5. Not receiving funding support from Title IV-E, Behavioral Health Expansion Program, Public Behavioral Health and Aging and Adult Services MSW Training Program, or any other HCAI-administered training, stipend, or scholarship program.

DUE DATE: The 2026-2027 application is CLOSED

Application Components:

1. Application Form
2. Resume
3. Three short essay responses (300-word limit per response)

If you would like further information about the Bilingual and Bicultural Behavioral Health Program, please contact Judy Vang, Program Coordinator at tvang@csuchico.edu.

The Public Behavioral Health Training Program (PBH) is a funding initiative that aims to better prepare MSW (Master of Social Work) students to provide effective and evidence-based behavioral healthcare in publicly-funded programs and settings. The program also aims to train MSWs in proactively supporting the integration of behavioral healthcare services with and within other public services and systems, while enhancing their retention and development in public behavioral health programs and settings. As part of this program, an estimated 9 MSW students are awarded up to a $25,000 yearly stipend. The PBH Training Program has a post-graduation service obligation. For more details about the post-graduation service obligation, please see below.

The stipends for full-time students (based on campus enrollment rules) are up to $25,000 per academic year:

Awardee will receive stipends in two disbursements:

• Up to $12,500 in mid to late fall semester
• Up to $12,500 in mid spring semester

Stipends for part-time students (based on campus enrollment rules) are up to $12,500 per academic year.

Trainees will receive stipends in two disbursements:

• Up to $6,250 in mid to late fall semester
• Up to $6,250 in mid spring semester

The Public Behavioral Health (PBH) is open to those who meet all eligibility requirements below:

• Are enrolled in our MSW program for academic year 2026-2027
• Entered their practicum training year of MSW study in good academic standing
• Matched/matching with a practicum site for the awarded academic year in a publicly funded behavioral health care sites/programs
• Not receive funding support from any other California Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) administered training, stipend or scholarship program
• Interest in and commitment to learning about the issues, challenges and needs specific to behavioral health care practice in public service settings
• Linguistic and cultural competencies that align with the needs of underserved consumers in CA
• Demonstrated, strong, and sustained commitment to social work careers in CA’s public behavioral health care systems programs and settings

Student Requirements:

• Must complete their 2026-2027 placement at an agency or organization that provides direct public behavioral health services
• Must participate in ALL PBH-related orientation, meetings, events, training, and other academic and field placement activities during the awarded period
• Must participate in ongoing program evaluation as required by the Principal Investigator and San Jose State
• Must be committed to providing behavioral health services in the State of California post-graduation
• Be complete all required general and behavioral health-focused courses as specified by the MSW and Behavioral Health Program 
• Complete the post-graduation service obligation. For each year of award, the awardee is required to complete the equivalent of 12 months of full-time service employment in a Master’s level position with eligible publicly funded behavioral health care service sites include community-based behavioral health care clinics and agencies, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, schools/districts, SELPAs, colleges, inpatient and outpatient health care sites AND child welfare, regional center, juvenile delinquency, court and adult corrections units with publicly funded behavioral health programs and services, etc.
• Upon graduation, must pursue LCSW licensure

The California State University, Chico’s PBH Training Program applications is no longer accepting applications for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The Public Behavioral Health (PBH) Training Program is funded by the California Office of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) as part of a statewide behavioral health workforce development initiative. The central goals are:

• To better prepare MSW students to provide effective, evidence-based behavioral health care in publicly funded programs and settings
• To better prepare new MSWs to proactively support the integration of behavioral health care services with and within other public services and systems
• To enhance the retention and development of MSWs in California’s public behavioral health programs and settings

We hope to award an estimated 9 MSW students up to a $25,000.00 stipend for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The PBH Training Program at the San Jose State will manage the application.

Application

The 2026-2027 PBH application is CLOSED.

The MSW Behavioral Health Program admissions committee will ONLY review completed applications. 

Applications received after the due date will not be reviewed. Students will be notified of the status of their application a week after the due date. Selected candidates will be tentatively interviewed starting on May 1, 2026. Students accepted into the PBH Training Program are required to sign a university agreement contract, along with any agreements from San Jose State Public Behavioral Health Training Program, attend an in-person orientation on August 19, 2026, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, and participate in ALL San Jose State and Chico State MSW Behavioral Health Program meetings, including virtual and in-person trainings on campus.

 *NOTE: Paid employment or agency stipends/financial awards do not preclude your participation in the Behavioral Health Program. The exceptions are current Title IV-E, Public Behavioral Health and Adult and Aging Services MSW Training Program participants, and those receiving direct funding support from any other HCAI administered training, stipend or scholarship program.

If you would like further information about the MSW Behavioral Health Program, please contact Judy Vang, Program Coordinator at tvang@csuchico.edu.