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Opioid Abatement Council approves $2 million to reopen behavioral health scholarship program
Summary
The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council voted to allocate $2,000,000 over two years to reopen the Tennessee Behavioral Health Pathways scholarship, which provides tuition stipends in exchange for service at department‑funded treatment agencies. Vote carried with one abstention.
The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council voted Feb. 27 to allocate $2,000,000 over two years to reopen and expand the Tennessee Behavioral Health Pathways scholarship program, which pays tuition stipends for graduate‑level behavioral health training in return for a service commitment to OAC‑approved treatment agencies.
Deputy Commissioner Matt Hensley, who presented the program, said the scholarship was launched with $3,000,000 in non‑recurring state funding and additional American Rescue Plan funding to support roughly 197 students as of January 2025. "The average scholarship among those close to 200 students is about $17,000 a year," Hensley said. He described program terms requiring recipients to work for department‑funded treatment agencies for a commensurate time after graduation.
Council members debated the proposal on the floor, raising procedural and policy concerns about funding awards made outside the normal grant cycle and whether certain nursing bridge programs should be eligible. Dr. Jackson and others argued for the workforce benefits of the scholarship, describing it as a high‑return investment in clinicians for public behavioral health providers. Council member Stephanie Vanderpool asked for clarification that recipients must work specifically for "mental health and substance abuse OAC‑approved providers," which staff confirmed.
Chair moved the allocation and Judge Shane Sexton seconded it. The roll‑call vote carried with one abstention recorded by a member who said her organization was a beneficiary. The council directed staff to follow existing scholarship rules for selection and administration and to coordinate with implementing partners TADAS and TAMO to reopen the portal.
Next steps: staff will work with partner administrators to reopen the scholarship portal, confirm eligibility rules and report back on implementation timelines. The council requested outcome tracking to measure effects on vacancy and turnover in provider agencies. The motion outcome: approved.
