Los Angeles County Stipend Information

2012-2013 Los Angeles County Stipend Program Information

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health will be awarding educational stipends to MFT students in the 2012-2013 academic year. Students will be recruited from the MFT schools that participate in the MFT Consortium of Greater Los Angeles. Click here for a list of the qualifying schools. The County has partnered with the MFT Consortium to address the County’s workforce need for qualified mental health practitioners capable of providing culturally and linguistically competent services in certain geographic areas or specialized treatment programs. Administration of the stipend program on behalf of this partnership is provided by Phillips Graduate Institute in Chatsworth, CA.

Stipend Goal and Objectives

The goal of the LA County Stipend Program is to increase the public mental health workforce with qualified individuals committed to providing services in high need areas. The objectives of the program are:

To recruit graduate students who have the capacity to provide services in one of the threshold languages in areas identified as high need. The threshold languages include Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and additional Chinese dialects.
To recruit graduate students who have cultural competency and the capacity to provide culturally appropriate and sensitive services to consumers in areas identified as high need.
To recruit graduate students who will be employed to serve in areas the County has designated as a workforce priority. These areas are currently identified as Service Area 1 (Antelope Valley), Service Area 4 (Downtown Los Angeles), Service Area 6 (South Los Angeles), Service Area 7 (East Los Angeles), services in juvenile justice programs and the jail system throughout the County, Specialized Foster Care (Katie A), programs funded through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), and service programs to older adults and veterans.
To recruit graduate students who have prior experience in the mental health delivery system of the LA County Department of Mental Health through previous or current employment or through practicum (traineeship) training.

Stipend Amount and Commitment

The County will be awarding up to 52 educational stipends of $18,500 to selected students. Stipend recipients will need to be employed for one year as an MFT Intern in a public mental health agency, either directly operated by or contracted with the County’s Department of Mental Health.

Eligibility for the County’s Stipends

Students in the last year of pursuing their graduate degree who will be graduating between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013 are eligible and encouraged to apply. In addition, students need to meet the following criteria:

Must be in a regionally accredited school which is a member of the MFT Consortium of Greater Los Angeles
Must pass a criminal record background check (Live Scan prints will be required when applying for employment)
Must be able to legally work in the United States
Must be willing to commit to one year of full time work at a DMH funded agency after graduating
Must be eligible to register as a MFT Intern upon graduation

Recommendation by Applicant’s School

Applicants (current students or recent graduates) must be recommended by their schools to apply for the County Stipend Program. School representatives for the County Stipend Program will recommend students who have graduated or will graduate (degree posted) between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, who have contacted the school representatives to declare interest in applying, and who have received advisement regarding the application process and the student’s capacity to provide mental health services in the designated high need areas and programs.

Click here to download an application