California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI)
CFDA Number:
Funding or PIN Number:
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Geographic Focus
USA: California
Important Dates
Conference Date: 05/14/25 Deadline: 06/13/25 3:00 PM
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Grant Description
Loan repayments of up to $15,000 for California mental health professionals to help offset the costs of training and academic studies. Funding is intended to assist applicants including therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers who serve underserved communities. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of appropriately trained mental health professionals providing direct client care in a qualified facility in California.
An applicant must provide direct client care in one of the following eligible geographic areas or approved site designations:
Children’s Hospital
Health Professional Shortage Area – Mental Health (HPSA-MH)
Non-Profit Mental Health Facility that contracts with a county entity to provide mental health services
Clinics providing Reproductive Health and abortion-related services
Publicly Funded Mental Health Facility
State-Operated Health Facility
Correctional Facility
Public Mental Health Facility
Substance Use Facility
County-Operated Health Facility
Public School Facility
Veteran’s Facility
Eligible Educational Loans:
Any outstanding U.S. government (federal, state, or local) and US commercial (private) student loan for undergraduate or graduate education obtained by the applicant for school tuition, and reasonable educational expenses in pursuit of their health profession degree.
In the name of the applicant
Obtained prior to the submission of the application to the Loan Repayment Program
In good standing (not being in default); deferment and forbearance are okay.
Consolidated and/or refinanced educational loans may be eligible, and they must clearly delineate the original loans and the degrees conferred. They cannot be with another person’s loan or with non-educational loans. Failure to provide this information may result in ineligibility for the program.
Below is the list of program requirements awardees are expected to comply with:
• Maintain a current and unrestricted license and be in good standing with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and/or the California Board of Psychology.
• Have existing qualifying educational loan debt incurred while pursuing a degree to practice in an eligible mental health profession.
• Keep said educational loans in good standing.
• Must not be in breach of any other HCAI/health professional service obligation.
• Must not participate or have an existing service obligation with another entity, including other HCAI funded programs.
• Submit progress reports, in the form required by HCAI, demonstrating compliance with program requirements and their agreement/contract.
• Maintain 32 hours or more per week of direct client care during the entirety of the contract period.
Applicants currently licensed and practicing in one of the eligible disciplines below can receive loan repayment assistance through the LMH program:
• Associate Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
• Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
• Licensed Psychologist
• Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
• Postdoctoral Psychological Assistant
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Postdoctoral Psychological Trainee
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Waivered Psychologist
Temp agencies and management services companies are not an eligible employer.
Applicants will not be awarded more than their total educational debt left on their loan balance.
Ineligible:
• Parents PLUS loans
• Personal lines of credit
• Loans in default
• Credit card debt
• Promissory notes
• Loans operating outside of the U.S.
• Loans paid in full
Pre-Proposal Conference
Technical Assistance Call (TAC)
Applicants are encouraged to attend one of the scheduled TAC calls during the application cycle to ask questions related to their application and/or the Funding eApp. Below is a schedule for upcoming TACs.
Application Dates:
• Opens: May 1, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
• Closes: June 13, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
• Anticipated Award Notice August/September 2025
• Proposed Grant Agreement Start Date September 30, 2025
The maximum award amount for the LMH program is $15,000.
Term of Contract
Awardees must provide full-time service in direct client care, including practicing for a term of at least 12 months at a qualified facility in California in an eligible discipline.
Contact Information
The online application will be available from May 1, 2025.
Direct questions to:
Health Care Access and Information
Email: HWDD-LRP@hcai.ca.gov
Phone: (916) 326-3700
Before starting your grant application, please review
the funding source's website listed below for updates / changes / addendums /
conferences / LOIs.
