Program Overview | PBH

Funded by the California Office of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) as part of a statewide behavioral health workforce development initiative.

Central goals are: 

• To better prepare MSW students to provide effective, evidence-based behavioral health care for underserved consumers in publicly funded systems, programs and settings
• To better prepare new MSWs to proactively support the integration of behavioral health care services across public systems
• To enhance the hiring, retention and career development of MSWs working in California’s public behavioral health care systems, programs and settings 

• 2023-24 training year was funded through a prior agreement between HCAI and UCB/CalSWEC
• PBH MSW Training Program transitioned to SJSU in July 2024

In AY 2025-26, the program will provide training and stipend support to at least 250 MSW student trainees through subaward agreements with up to 20 MSW programs

Also in AY 2025-26, the program will provide training and fellowship support directly to up to 100 recent MSW graduates

Trainees in the PBH MSW Training Program must complete identified courses on behavioral health practice, policy and research and foundation and/or advanced-year field training in publicly-funded behavioral health programs. Eligible field training sites include publicly-funded behavioral health programs in community clinics, outpatient and residential treatment programs, inpatient psychiatric units, schools, SELPAs, regional centers, inpatient and outpatient health care settings, child welfare units, juvenile delinquency programs, and adult corrections settings, among others. Specialized training content will focus on preparing students for the realities of public behavioral health practice and emphasize the coordination and integration of services provided to adults, children, and families through multiple systems of care.

Trainees in the PBH MSW Training Program will be awarded stipend funding of $25,000 per training year, based on full-time enrollment. Participating MSW programs will receive program coordination funding sufficient to recruit, select and coordinate student trainees and ensure the availability of curricular and field training resources for all trainees as necessary to meet identified training program requirements.

Graduates of the PBH MSW Training Program are required to complete post-graduation service through employment in publicly funded behavioral health settings within the state of California. Trainees must begin service employment within 180 days of MSW graduation and the duration of the service obligation is the equivalent of 12 months of full-time service for each year of training participation. Graduates are responsible for completing and submitting all required documentation of employment used to satisfy the service obligation.

If you have any questions about the PBH MSW Training Program, please contact E. Maxwell Davis ([email protected]) or Martina Parashkevova ([email protected]).

(Source from San Jose State University)