California's public mental health system will develop and maintain a sufficient workforce capable of providing individual-and family-driven, culturally competent services using effective methods that promote wellness, recovery and resilience and other 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 work closely with DHCS and other partners to support workforce training, recruitment and retention of behavioral health care practitioners who serve persons with Medi-Cal insurance and/or that are uninsured.
HCAI’s goal is to expand the number of qualified licensed and non-licensed practitioners serving persons with Medi-Cal insurance and/or that are uninsured who are living with or at risk for behavioral health conditions through the implementation of five statewide workforce programs over a five-year period.
The Five Statewide Programs Are:
2020 - 2025 Regional WET Plan
2020 - 2025 Regional WET Plan (PDF, 140KB)
The 2020-2025 MHSA WET Five-Year Plan (WET Plan) provides Regional Partnerships the opportunity to design and implement their chosen WET programs in the counties of their respective regions through a contract with Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). The programs under the domain of the Regional Partnerships include pipeline development, scholarships, stipends, loan repayment, and retention strategies, with the ability to link programs across the workforce pipeline spectrum (from pipeline to scholarship and stipends to loan repayment and retention).
Fresno County implemented loan repayment programs to retain a diverse and experienced workforce. The activities that Fresno County and its regional partners engaged in are intended to attract culturally and linguistically diverse individuals to behavioral health careers and support them along each step in their educational and training career 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 established core competency education requirements for registered and certified counselors and increased the number of educational hours for registered counselors to be aligned with what is required of Medi-Cal Certified Peer Support Specialists.
For those registered and certified AOD counselors working for contracted DBH programs that would like to start completing their required core competency education requirements, they can go through their DBH-assigned staff analyst to request access to Relias. Registered and certified AOD counselors employed by DBH can go through their supervisor for approval for self-enrollment into applicable Relias courses. For a listing of Relias courses organized by core competency category, please see the training catalog linked above.