Three California universities will receive $110 million over five years from the Ballmer Group Los Angeles to expand the behavioral health workforce serving low-income children and youths.
California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California State University, Los Angeles and University of California, Los Angeles are collaborating on the effort to address care gaps, as one-quarter of Los Angeles teens report unmet mental health needs, according to an April 6 news release from the group. The county is projected to need more than 17,000 new behavioral health professionals by 2033.
- Cal State LA will expand graduate training programs and prepare more than 1,000 additional counselors and social workers over five years by increasing enrollment in its Master of Social Work and school-based counseling programs.
- CSUDH plans to prepare almost 700 additional students through expanded programs and a new initiative supporting scholarships, licensure preparation and emergency aid.
- UCLA will expand academic and postdoctoral training, including youth behavioral health minor and social work and psychiatry programs.
Together, the universities expect to support almost 2,600 new behavioral health graduates by 2031, the release said.
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