California launches MBHCBTP to fund training for community-based behavioral health roles

The Department of Health Care Access and Information on April 16 launched the Medical Behavioral Health Community-Based Provider Training Program (MBHCBTP), a statewide grant to pay training and certification costs for people pursuing careers as alcohol and other drug counselors, medical peer support specialists and medical community health workers.

"We're excited to share more about this important opportunity and walk you through the details of the program," said Chris Rowena, lead communications analyst with Health Workforce Development, opening the webinar. Angela Brand, section chief for behavioral health and policy at the Department of Health Care Access and Information, said the program is part of BH Connect, California's behavioral health transformation effort enabled by federal approval of the BH Connect 1115 demonstration waiver in December 2024.

Why it matters: MBHCBTP is intended to expand the behavioral health workforce that serves medical members and uninsured Californians. Brand said the state, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, will invest across five workforce programs through 2029 and that MBHCBTP is one of those investments.

Funding and eligibility: For this grant cycle HAI announced up to $21,250,000 is available statewide, and individuals may be eligible for up to $10,000 to cover tuition, required fees, textbooks, program-required supplies, and exam or certification costs. "Payments will not be made to individuals," Brand said; award payments will go directly to the training or education provider. The program does not cover living expenses such as housing, child care or transportation.

Deadlines and service obligation: The application opened April 16 and closes April 30 at 3:00 p.m. Award notices are expected in July, with grant agreements to start in August 2026. Applicants must begin an eligible training program by Sept. 30, 2026, complete it by June 30, 2028, and start their service obligation by June 30, 2029 (or within one year of completion), whichever comes first. Grantees must fulfill a three-year full-time service obligation providing direct client care in an eligible medical safety-net setting; HAI defines full-time as at least 32 hours per week (30 hours in school settings).

Who can apply and verification: Emily Robinson, the program officer, said this is an individual-based program: "Individuals apply for this opportunity. HAI will be reaching out to training programs to verify some things including the cost of attendance." Applicants must be enrolled in an eligible training program that leads to certification by Sept. 30, 2026; HAI will contact listed training programs to verify enrollment, costs and program eligibility. For community health worker pathways, applicants will provide training program details and HAI will verify eligibility after the application window closes.

Citizenship and other limits: Panelists said federal funding requires alignment with FAFSA eligibility, so applicants must attest to a qualifying citizenship or immigration status during the application. "If you do not meet one of those citizenship or immigration statuses, you would not be able to apply," said Lindsay (panelist).

Program rules and scoring: The application has 11 sections including provider type, certifications/licenses, training and program eligibility, conflicts of interest and confirmation pages. Scoring criteria include languages spoken, prior participation in public grants, and experience with homelessness or child welfare; full criteria appear in Attachment A of the grant guide.

Data, payments and breach policy: Training programs will receive a single training program verification form on behalf of multiple applicants and HAI will use a portal for program responses. Emily Robinson said payments may be issued in multiple installments from August 2026 through May 2029. If a grantee fails to complete the education or service obligation, HAI will recoup payments and the individual grantee will be liable to repay award amounts; waiver relief is limited and waiver policy is detailed in the grant guide.

Q&A highlights: During the question-and-answer session, presenters clarified that: the program is not for county or organizational applicants but for individuals (question from a participant was answered that only individuals apply); a laptop may be covered only if the training program lists it as a required supply; doulas may pursue certification pathways but prior doula work does not substitute for required certification; HAI will not provide job placement assistance for the service obligation; and behavioral health community-based organizations contracting with managed care may qualify as eligible safety-net settings if they provide medical services and meet payer-mix thresholds.

Next steps: Presenters encouraged interested applicants to consult the MBHCBTP grant guide and the HAI website for the slide deck, recording and technical assistance resources. The slide deck and recording will be posted with English and Spanish captions and ADA-accessible materials within 7–10 business days. Questions about the program can be emailed to the MBHCBTP support address listed on HAI's site and callers can use the BH Connect helpline.

The webinar closed with a reminder that the application window ends April 30 at 3:00 p.m. and with contact information for technical assistance and program resources.