New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals and Project Renewal launched Care Corps, a workforce development program designed to train individuals for entry-level behavioral health roles within the public system.
The $2 million program aims to help fill vacant behavioral health positions at NYC Health + Hospitals while building a workforce pipeline, according to a May 15 news release from the system. Since launching in 2025, 45 participants have graduated from the program, with 35 being hired by NYC Health + Hospitals or another hospital system in the city.
Care Corps includes three weeks of classroom instruction at Project Renewal along with a three-week internship at NYC Health + Hospitals’ Institute for Medical Simulation and Advanced Learning. Participants are paid during the internship training hours, and graduates qualify for psychiatric social health technicians roles supporting inpatient psychiatric units.
Salaries for the positions start at $50,000 a year, including union and medical benefits, with individuals needing a high school diploma or equivalent to be eligible to apply.
NYC Health + Hospitals said the program may expand through 2026 based on workforce demand. The system provides nearly 60% of behavioral health services across the city and serves more than 82,000 patients each year across emergency, inpatient and outpatient care, the release said.
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