(a) There is hereby created the Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education Program within the Department of Health Care Access and Information.
(b) For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Licensed mental health service provider” means a psychologist licensed by the Board of Psychology, registered psychologist, registered psychological associate, postdoctoral psychology trainee employed in an exempt setting pursuant to Section 2910 of the Business and Professions Code or employed pursuant to a State Department of Health Care Services waiver pursuant to Section 5751.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, marriage and family therapist, associate marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, associate clinical social worker, licensed professional clinical counselor, and associate professional clinical counselor.
(2) “Mental health professional shortage area” means an area designated as such by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
(c) Commencing January 1, 2005, any licensed mental health service provider, including a mental health service provider who is employed at a publicly funded mental health facility or a public or nonprofit private mental health facility that contracts with a county mental health entity or facility to provide mental health services, who provides direct patient care in a publicly funded facility or a mental health professional shortage area may apply for grants under the program to reimburse their educational loans related to a career as a licensed mental health service provider.
(d) The department shall adopt all of the following:
(1) A standard contractual agreement to be signed by the director and any licensed mental health service provider who is serving in a publicly funded facility or a mental health professional shortage area that would require the licensed mental health service provider who receives a grant under the program to work in the publicly funded facility or a mental health professional shortage area for at least one year.
(2) The maximum allowable total grant amount per individual licensed mental health service provider.
(3) The maximum allowable annual grant amount per individual licensed mental health service provider.
(e) The department shall develop the program, which shall comply with all of the following requirements:
(1) The total amount of grants under the program per individual licensed mental health service provider shall not exceed the amount of educational loans related to a career as a licensed mental health service provider incurred by that provider.
(2) The program shall keep the fees from the different licensed providers separate to ensure that all grants are funded by those fees collected from the corresponding licensed provider groups.
(3) A loan forgiveness grant may be provided in installments proportionate to the amount of the service obligation that has been completed.
(4) The number of persons who may be considered for the program shall be limited by the funds made available pursuant to Section 128458.
(f) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2018.
(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 93. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025.)