A number of state and federal programs offer tens of thousands of dollars in stipends and loan reimbursements for marriage and family therapists to advance their careers. Generally, these programs aim to help bring mental health services to underserved areas and to reward therapists who dedicate themselves to such communities. Here are just a few of the programs MFTs may find enriching.The federal National Health Service Corps program offers a whopping $50,000 in loan reimbursement, on top of the salary one would already make in an eligible position, for two years of service. More information can be found at nhscjobs.hrsa.gov.
Also on the federal level, the Indian Health Service (IHS; www.ihs.gov) offers a similar program, awarding $20,000 per year for two years of service at an IHS site. (A cautionary note: MFTs are legally recognized for employment within IHS, but appear to fall within "other professions as determined by need" in the loan repayment program.)
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) / US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Minority Fellowship Program awards stipends of $20,000 per year, plus funding to conduct research and travel to conferences and trainings, to doctoral students in MFT programs. These awards are renewable up to three years.
In California, there are additional state-based stipend and loan reimbursement programs. The awards offered by each of these programs are in addition to the salary one would already earn in an eligible position.
The California State MFT Stipend Program provides awards of $18,500 per year to MFT Interns who agree to work in public mental health positions in underserved areas for at least one year. In 2009, 60 of these stipends were awarded through the statewide MFT Consortium, which covers most of the state; Loma Linda University and CSU-Chico each administered a handful of additional stipends through the same state fund.
There is a separate Los Angeles County MFT Stipend Program, which for 2009-2010 is awarding 36 stipends of $18,500 with similar service requirements.
Finally, the state also offers MFTs and MFT Interns its Mental Health Services Provider Education Program, which awards up to $15,000 in loan reimbursement for two years of service in an underserved area. Technically, this is two separate programs, as its funding comes through two distinct streams (license renewal fees, and the Mental Health Services Act). As a practical matter, though, they're the same; they use the same application form and are administered collaboratively.
Are you aware of other federal or state-based programs that should be added to this list? Email me at bcaldwell (at) alliant (dot) edu and let me know, and I'll be happy to expand this post.
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2 comments:
Nice information, now this is what I call good news!!! But all these programs are for post-MFT master, what about continuing edu, are there any programs that can help during the master program? I do not recall seeing any info in your previous entries.
This of course is FANTASTIC news. I am particularly excited about the $50k in loan reimbursement. I am an undergrad right now but I will be finished with my program next June and will be applying to Alliant at the Sacramento Site and I am also looking at Notre Dame de Namur in San Mateo and USF. I guess my major concern has been that I am a self supporting adult and during the practicum phase, how is this going to affect me financially? Of course I will not let it dissuade me but I have had some thoughts about how I will be able to do the practicum, my other courses and work too? Maybe others can share their experiences and how they go through it.
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