Workforce Education & Training
California’s public mental health system will build and support a strong workforce that can provide culturally respectful services tailored to individuals and families, using proven approaches that promote wellness, recovery, resilience, and positive mental health outcomes.
Workforce Education and Training (WET), as a component of the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), is intended to address identified occupational shortages and education and training needs of the public mental health workforce.
Workforce Retention Strategy Programs
We are pleased to announce a new workforce retention strategy program that the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is currently implementing: the Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program. Our goal is for our providers to remain motivated to stay employed in our behavioral health system, helping our clients in their wellness and recovery.
The California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) will partner with DHCS and others to help train, recruit, and retain behavioral health providers who serve people with Medi-Cal or who do not have insurance.
HCAI’s goal is to increase the number of licensed and non-licensed behavioral health providers who serve people with Medi-Cal or who are uninsured and are living with, or at risk for, behavioral health conditions. To do this, HCAI will implement five statewide workforce programs over five years.
The Five Statewide Programs Are:
2020 - 2025 Regional WET Plan
2020 - 2025 Regional WET Plan (PDF, 140KB)
The 2020–2025 MHSA Workforce Education and Training (WET) Five-Year Plan gives Regional Partnerships the opportunity to design and carry out workforce programs in their counties through a contract with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD).
These programs may include building career pipelines, offering scholarships and stipends, providing loan repayment, and supporting workforce retention. Regions can also connect these efforts across the full workforce pathway — from early pipeline development to scholarships, loan repayment, and long-term retention.
Fresno County implemented loan repayment programs to retain a diverse and experienced workforce. The activities Fresno County and its regional partners undertook are designed to attract culturally and linguistically diverse individuals to behavioral health careers and to support them at each step of their educational and training pathway within the public mental health system.
Training Catalog to Meet New AOD Counselor Education Requirements
09.23.25-Relias-SUD-Training-Catalog.pdf(PDF, 365KB)
BHIN 25-029 to implement the new AOD (Alcohol and Drug) Counselor Education requirements, passed via AB 2473 in 2022, has been finalized and posted by DHCS. AB 2473 created core education requirements for registered and certified counselors. It also increased the required training hours for registered counselors to match the training required for Medi-Cal Certified Peer Support Specialists.
Registered and certified AOD counselors who work in contracted DBH programs and need to complete their required core competency training can contact their assigned DBH staff analyst to request access to Relias. Registered and certified AOD counselors employed by DBH may request approval from their supervisor to self-enroll in applicable Relias courses. For a listing of Relias courses organized by core competency category, please see the training catalog linked above.