Program Overview

I. Mission

The Chico State School of Social Work Behavioral Health Program is dedicated to preparing mental health clinicians to serve rural Nothern California in partnership with our community. Our mission is to provide high-quality, clinically focused behavioral health training to help students identify their strengths and learn more about themselves while building skills for ongoing career development. We are committed to fostering culturally representative mentorship and facilitating student flourishing with love and support through connection, storytelling, sharing, and creativity

II. Purpose

The purpose of the California State University, Chico Master of Social Work (MSW) Behavioral Health Program (BHP) is to recruit, educate, and place MSW students from culturally and linguistically diverse socio-demographic backgrounds and other characteristics of historically marginalized communities into behavioral health settings in the North State. MSW BHP students will engage in behavioral health services for children, youth, families, and adults in under-resourced and underserved communities across the 18 Northern California Superior Region counties (PDF): Del Norte, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, and Yuba. During their awarded period, MSW BHP students will deliver culturally sensitive primary and behavioral health services within behavioral health agencies. They will collaborate in multidisciplinary teams spanning various professions and agencies, while receiving training in wellness, recovery, and resilience principles, encompassing self-help, healing, and empowerment support

III. Background

In Spring of 2023, the California State University Chico School of Social Work was awarded two behavioral health grants to train MSW students in behavioral health settings. The two funding opportunities are the Behavioral Health Expansion Program (BHEP) and the CalSWEC Public Behavioral Health (PBH) program.

Students pursuing their MSW degree can apply for acceptance in the BHP program for one academic year at a time. They can participate in the program for a maximum of two academic years. However, acceptance for one academic year does not guarantee acceptance for the second year. Please click on "Student Eligibility and Requirements" to determine your eligibility for the program.

IV. Student Eligibility and Requirements

MSW students can enroll in the Behavioral Health Program (BHP) for one academic year at a time and can participate in the training program for up to two academic years. However, acceptance into the training program for one academic year DOES NOT guarantee acceptance for a second year. Students are not eligible to receive both behavioral health stipends simultaneously. Both the behavioral health stipend programs (BHEP and CalSWEC PBH) have direct practice requirements. Only MSW students who are completing their practicum placement during the awarded academic year are eligible to apply.

*Please visit the BHEP and CalSWEC PBH pages for more information on the specific eligibility and requirements of each grant program

V. Information Sessions

MSW Behavioral Health Program Informational Meetings

We invite you to attend an informational meeting if you are interested in our MSW Behavioral Health Program.

Fall 2024 Meetings

September 28th, 12-1 p.m.

October 18th, 12-1 p.m.

November 20th, 5-6 p.m.

December 12th, 12-1 p.m.

January 24th, 12-1 p.m.

February 24th, 12-1 p.m.

March 7th, 12-1 p.m.

All MSW Behavioral Health Program informational meetings will be held via Zoom, see information below. 

Join Zoom Meeting: https://csuchico.zoom.us/j/223498313
Zoom Passcode: swrk
  
If you would like further information about the MSW BHP, please contact Judy Vang, Program Coordinator at tvang@csuchico.edu

VI. Peer Mentors

As a Behavioral Health Program awardee, students of both programs will receive peer mentorship and access to culturally responsive training activities. The MSW Behavioral Health Program will prioritize recruiting new students, faculty, and staff who represent historically underserved communities and socio-demographic and linguistic diversity. Below are this year’s 2024-2025 Peer Mentors.

Emilee Hunt, ASW, PPS

Emilee initially graduated from Chico State with a BA in Multicultural and Gender Studies in 2015. During her time at Chico State, she worked at the Gender and Sexuality Equity Center, a space dedicated to activism and supporting underserved students. She then pursued a Master of Arts in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University (2017), where her research focused on the experiences of queer and transsexual survivors of sexual assault on university campuses. After returning to Chico and working with survivors of sexual violence, Emilee felt called to return to school and pursue working with youth in more expansive services. Emilee returned to Chico State, and graduated with her MSW in 2022. She now works as a school counselor at a local middle school, where she is able to support students through the highs and lows of life, while re-writing her own experience of the middle school scaries. In addition to this work, Emilee is pursuing her LCSW. She is very excited to be working with the Social Work department in supporting current MSW students, and is passionate about supporting students in building a school, work, and life balance. In her personal time, she enjoys traveling, dabbling in all kinds of crafts, and wrangling her dog and two cats for some necessary relaxation!"

The Behavioral Health Program is lead by:

• Program Coordinator, Dr. Judy Vang, LCSW
• Practicum Coordinator, Gail Garcia, LCSW
• Principal Investigator, Dr. Molly Calhoun, MSW
• Cultural Responsiveness and Emotional Liberation Trainer, Dr. Devanji (Juni) Banerjee-Stevens, PhD
• Behavioral Health Faculty, Dr. Qingyi Li, PhD
• Administrative Support Staff, Stephanie Cello, BA