With only four states in the U.S. exceeding 50% of their population’s demand for mental health services, Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente is expanding its mental health career accelerator program with the goal of helping 1,000 master’s-level graduates complete licensure by 2028.
The initiative, developed with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and launched in 2023, focuses on what Pamela Schwartz, executive director for community health, described as the “last mile to licensure” — a phase where many graduates fall out of the workforce pipeline.
“We saw that many people who graduated from a master’s-level mental health program never became licensed, and some of the reasons for this are things like complex license processes, financial stresses, like they have to work three jobs, or care for a family member, or they’re in isolation so an area that doesn’t allow them to practice.”
The program now spans eight states and has enrolled 200 candidates with an additional 200+ joining in 2026. According to Kaiser Permanente, the 160 initial candidates have already supported more than 31,000 patients while moving through the licensure process. The redesigned program combines up to $10,000 in stipends with professional development, including exam readiness, mentorship, networking and peer support, in an effort to improve retention and diversify the behavioral health workforce.
A combination of challenges can derail candidates: logging the required 3,000-4,000 hours of clinical work, depending on the state, often with little to no pay; navigating complex systems that also vary by state; and dedicating time to study for the licensure exam. Graduates of the program are often candidates who could help diversify the behavioral health workforce, with program recruitment intentionally focusing on underserved communities and hard-to-staff regions, Ms. Schwartz said.
“There was a woman who was with us this week. She told us that she had graduated from her master’s program 30 years ago and had been trying to complete her license for about 30 years,” she said. “It wasn’t until this program where she could get help that she’s back in the game and will complete [licensure] very soon”
After piloting the initiative in Georgia and Colorado, Kaiser redesigned the program around candidate’s wants and needs, Ms. Schwartz said.
“That’s when we switched to a stipend. We were offering some salary that was going directly to the clinics that then supported the candidates,” she said. “But some of our changes now direct [money] to candidates in an incentive to help them get through the licensure.”
The stipend structure was designed to balance program requirements with flexibility for individual needs. She said some funding is tied to licensure milestones and testing preparation, while candidates can also use the funds for barriers such as childcare and personal expenses.
Beyond financial assistance, Ms. Schwartz emphasized the program’s networking and peer-learning components, which have become central to candidate engagement and retention.
For example, Kaiser brought about 55 candidates to a National Council for Mental Wellbeing conference — Ms. Schwartz described seeing the program’s impact firsthand as a turning point.
“Many of them told us that they wouldn’t have been able to finish their license, if not for this program,” she said. “I sometimes sit in a Ivory Tower, coming up with what I think might be good for the country, but seeing them on the ground firsthand, and hearing their stories, why they’re in it, what they’ve gained from the program, why the programs mattered to them, was really just inspirational.”
Recruitment efforts are intentionally focused on regions and populations most affected by workforce shortages. Kaiser partners with universities serving underserved communities, targets areas with provider shortages and focuses on candidates most at risk of not completing licensure, along with support from the National Council’s partnerships.
As the initiative expands nationally, operational complexity has also increased, with licensure requirements differing across states and evolving still. In response, Kaiser established local co-chairs in participating states to help candidates and the national council navigate changing requirements and collaborated with a partner to track any changes to the testing requirements.
“The programs represent a continuum, a coordinated set of investments designed to grow and also train and license the behavioral health workforce at scale,” said Ms. Schwartz.
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