Training Stipend Program

The Mental Health Department offers training stipends for qualified Interns and Trainees. These stipends are provided through Santa Clara County’s Mental Health Services Act’s (MHSA) Workforce Education and Training (WET) Plan. The objective is to increase the number of its direct service staff to adequately respond to the service needs of the identified disparities in the current mental health system. There is an identified need to increase the workforce that will be able to provide services for the unserved, underserved, cultural and linguistic communities in Santa Clara County. The overall goal is to increase the number of bilingual/bicultural and culturally specific (ethnic, age, LGBTQQ) staff entering the public mental health system to provide culturally competent services to its clients and prepares the students to work in a recovery oriented mental health system.

The training stipends are financial incentives for students who do not have the resources to advance their careers in mental health. All interns are encouraged to apply. If awarded, the money is paid out as earned income, and students receive a year-end W2 statement for this income. The amount of the training stipend ranges depending upon the number of hours in placement per week.

The Department works with the Financial Aid Department at San Jose State University with those students that are eligible for Work Study funding. The Department is able to use a part of the stipend award to bring in additional work study funds. There is a limited number of training stipends available.

Training Stipend Eligibility Criteria

Successful applicants for the training stipends must meet criteria #1, #2, #3 and at least one of the other listed criteria below:

1. Must meet the Internship Eligibility Criteria. Please review those criteria.
2. Make a commitment (non-contractual) within 2 years after graduation from the MSW/MFT/Ph.D. programs to work full-time in a public mental health system in California for a minimum of 2 years.
3. Be in “good academic standing” and maintain “good academic standing” at the college/university degree program enrolled.
4. Applicants who are bi-lingual or bi-lingual and bi-cultural and whose cultural background and experience are from one of the threshold languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Tagalog) or other identified emerging language of clients served by the public mental health system.
5. Applicants who have experience with diverse backgrounds, but provide no language (foster care, youth, transition aged youth, older adults, developmentally challenged etc…).
6. Applicants with at least 1-2 years of working or lived personal experience with populations that are considered underserved by our mental health system. Examples of these populations might include gay/lesbian/transgender clients, homeless or physically disabled clients with serious mental illness.
7. Applicants’ current knowledge or study of unserved and underserved cultural and linguistic populations.
   

If you were previously awarded a training stipend for one full year, you are not eligible for another stipend. Additionally, a student who is receiving another type of stipend from a different funding source is not eligible to receive this WET stipend.

        Application and Selection Process

1. Submit completed internship application with required and requested documentation.
2. Indicate on the application your request for Intern Training Stipend.
3. Student Intern Program Coordinator will review, score, and rank applications.