County of Los Angeles Stipend Program  -  Qualifying Schools for Educational Stipends

The California Department of Mental Health (State) has initiated the MFT Educational Stipend Program with plans to award educational stipends to MFT students to address the statewide workforce need for mental health practitioners in underserved communities.

The Goals of the State’s MFT Educational Stipend Program:

1. to recruit MFT graduates with capacity to serve the culturally diverse needs of persons in mental health care
2. to prepare recruited MFT graduates in the delivery of mental health services that promote wellness, recovery and resilience, and
3. to recruit into MFT academic programs individuals who have experience in the public mental health system as clients or family members of clients.

The long-range objective of the MFT educational stipend program is to promote public mental health as a career option for those entering the MFT profession. Towards that end, the stipend program promotes curriculum development in MFT graduate institutions that prepares MFT graduates for public mental health practice.

The Mental Health Services Act

The State’s stipend program is funded through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Enacted in 2005, the mission of MHSA is to transform California’s public mental health delivery; in part, with mental health professionals dedicated to community service and to the care of those living with mental illness, by inspiring hope in their recovery, focusing on their personal strengths, respecting their cultural perspectives and learning from their lived experiences as consumers. http://www.dmh.ca.gov/Prop_63/MHSA/default.asp

2009-10 State Stipend Application Status

The application deadline for the 2009-10 stipends was November 6, 2009. There were a total of 281 applications, 21 of which were disqualified.  The following provides the totals for qualified applications, (disqualified applications) and stipends to be awarded with a breakdown by regional MFT Consortium:

MFT Consortium of San Diego:

37 eligible applicants (4 disqualified) 5 stipends to be awarded

MFT Consortium of Orange:

22 eligible applicants (2 disqualified) 10 stipends to be awarded

MFT Consortium of Greater Los Angeles:

155 eligible applicants (12 disqualified) 20 stipends to be awarded

MFT Consortium of the Bay Area:

22 eligible applicants (4 disqualified) 20 stipends to be awarded

MFT Consortium of Greater Sacramento:

23 eligible applicants (0 disqualified) 5 stipends to be awarded

Reasons for applications not qualifying included: late submission, incomplete application, signatures missing, degree date ineligible and applicant’s school not on the list of qualifying schools.

2009-10 State Stipend Recipients
60 stipends have been awarded to the following regional consortia:

MFT Consortium of San Diego:
6 stipend recipients

MFT Consortium of Orange:

10 stipend recipients

MFT Consortium of Greater Los Angeles:

20 stipend recipients

MFT Consortium of the Bay Area:

18 stipend recipients

MFT Consortium of Greater Sacramento:

6 stipend recipients

2009-10 Mental Health Services Act Training for State Stipend Recipients/Alternates

Mental Health America of Los Angeles will be conducting a two-day training on the principles and values of the MHSA. Attendance is mandatory for both days of training. For an overview of the training, download the Mental Health Servcies Act Training Outline.   

Recipients and alternates may choose to attend the trainings at one of the three locations: 

San Francisco/Sacramento area on February 18 & 19 from 9am-4pm at:
John F. Kennedy University, Pleasant Hill Campus
100 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 
www.jfku.edu

Los Angeles area on March 8 & 9 from 9am-4pm at:
Phillips Graduate Institute 
5445 Balboa Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
www.pgi.edu

San Diego/Orange County area on March 11 & 12 from 9am-4pm at:
Brandman University (formally Chapman University College)
7460 Mission Valley Rd.
San Diego, CA 92108
http://www.brandman.edu/sandiego/contact.asp

Employment and Placement Verification Forms
Stipend Recipients are required to commit to one year of employment as payback for the California Educational MFT Stipend Program. The agency must be approved by the regional coordinator prior to acceptance. The verification forms below are required at initial hire as a registered MFT Intern by the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

To verify employment: Employment Verification Form and Instructions
To verify volunteer placement: Placement Verification Form and Instructions

Disbursement of Stipend Checks to 2009-2010 State Stipend Recipients
Phillips Graduate Institute will disburse stipend checks to stipend recipients within two weeks upon receiving the stipend funds from the state. The state will release these funds after reviewing the list of stipend recipients and obtaining internal approval for the transfer of funds to Phillips. The current estimate, as of 2/12/10, for stipend recipients to receive the first half of the stipend is the end of March. However, any delay on the transfer of these stipend funds to Phillips beyond this estimate will be posted on the website.  

2010-11 State Stipend Recipients
Sixty (60) stipends of $18,500 each will be awarded statewide during the 2010-11 academic year. Recipients of the State stipends will be required to commit one year of employment at a mental health service agency operated by the state, a county, or an agency contracted by a governmental entity to provide mental health care. Information on the 2010-11 California Educational MFT Stipends will be available in summer 2010.

UPDATED 2/26/10