Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Recruitment and Retention Program

HCAI is offering the Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Recruitment and Retention Program as part of the Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) Workforce Initiative.  

The goal of the Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Recruitment and Retention Program (MBH-RRP) is to provide recruitment and retention bonuses, supervision support for pre-licensure and pre-certification practitioners, and certification/licensure and training supports with the aim of recruiting and retaining behavioral health practitioners to serve the Medi-Cal population.

Grant Funding

The state will develop a process to identify provider organizations to receive Recruitment and Retention Program funding, however, funding for payments to the provider organizations described in STC 6.4(a)-(c) must go to the behavioral health practitioners.  

Service Obligation Requirements

The Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Recruitment and Retention Program requires completion of a service obligation in Medi-Cal safety net settings. 
Practitioners awarded a recruitment bonus under this program are not eligible to receive a retention bonus until the practitioners have fulfilled their recruitment bonus service commitments. 

Eligible settings may receive funding to: 

  • Provide recruitment bouses of up to $20,000  
  • Provide retention bonuses of up to $4,000 each 
  • Provide bonuses of up to $50,000 per individual to support students completing required training in advance of their final year of education  
  • Provide up to $1,500 per practitioner to cover licensing or certification fees 
  • Support supervision hours of pre-licensure or pre-certificate practitioners (up to $35,000 per year)
  • Cover backfill costs to support behavioral health practitioners receiving training in EBPs
  • Recruitment and retention service obligations:
    • $20K or greater = four years
    • $10K – $20K = three years
    • Less than $10K = two years 

Safety Net Setting Requirements

Programs will train new residents and fellows in one or more of these safety net settings:  

  • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
  • Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC)
  • Rural Health Clinics (RHC)
  • Settings with the following payer mix:
    • Hospitals with 40% or higher Medicaid and/or uninsured population
    • Rural hospitals with 30% or higher Medicaid and/or uninsured population
    • Other behavioral health settings with 40% or higher Medicaid and/or uninsured population

Application Dates

Open TBD
Close TBD

Resources

Contact Us

Email: MBHRRP@hcai.ca.gov

Phone: (916) 326-3700

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