Mental%20Health%20Loan%20Assumption%20Program%20(MHLAP)

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Mental Health Loan Assumption
Program(MHLAP)
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Foundation Background

• The Health Professions Education Foundation
  (Foundation) is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit public
  benefit corporation that was created by the
  Legislature in 1987.
• Since 1990, the Foundation has awarded over 25
  million
• These awards have helped over 2,700 students and
  graduates practicing in medically underserved
  areas

The Foundation improves healthcare in
underserved areas of California by providing
scholarships, loan repayments, and programs to
health professional students who are dedicated to
providing direct patient care.
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Current Foundation Programs

• Allied Healthcare Scholarship Program
• Vocational Nurse Scholarship Program
• Licensed Vocational Nurse Loan Repayment Program
• Licensed Vocational Nurse to Associate Degree
  Nursing
• Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship Program
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing Scholarship
  Program
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing Loan Repayment
  Program
• Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education
  Program
• Mental Health Loan Assumption Program
• Health Professions Education Scholarship Program

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Financial Resources for Health Professionals
www.healthprofessions.ca.gov www.healthworkforceinfo.org www.oshpd.ca.gov/HWDD/SLRP.html www.explorehealthcareers.org http//cmhda.org
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Mental Health Loan Assumption Program (MHLAP)

• MHLAP is supported by funds from the Mental
  Health Services Act, under the Workforce,
  Education and Training component.
• 2.6 million dollars for this fiscal year.
• Serves individuals currently working in the
  Public Mental Health System, in a hard to fill
  or hard to retain position

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MHLAP Summary Statistics

• The Foundation acknowledges that there is a high
  need in the mental health field for additional
  funding to support loan repayment.
• Applications received 1,222
• Applicants awarded 283
• Dollars awarded 2,246,874.31
• Average Award 7,939.49 per person

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Eligibility Criteria for MHLAP

• Eligible Applicants
• Licensed Psychologist
• Registered Psychologist
• Postdoctoral Psychological Trainee
• Postdoctoral Psychological Assistant
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Associate Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Marriage and Family Therapist Intern
• Licensed Psychiatrist
• Registered Psychiatrist
• Licensed/ Certified Psychiatric Mental Health
  Nurse Practitioner
• Registered Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse
  Practitioner

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Eligibility Criteria for MHLAP

• MHSA funding is for mental health professionals
  working in the Public Mental Health System.
• Publicly-funded facilities administered in whole
  or in part by the Department of Mental Health or
  by the County.
• Does not include programs and/or services
  administered by federal, state, county or private
  correctional entities or programs and/ or
  services provided in correctional facilities.
• Does include programs and/or services in juvenile
  hall facilities.

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Eligibility- Practice Location

• Participants may receive up to 10,000 in
  exchange for 12
• consecutive months of employment in a designated
  hard to fill or
• retain position in the Public Mental Health
  System.
• Any award recipient who changes County of
  Employment or who
• does not comply with his/her loan assumption
  contract during their
• service obligation shall be removed or suspended
  from the program.

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Scoring and Criteria

• Applicants will be scored based on
• Work Experience
• Cultural and Linguistic Competence
• Career Goals
• Community Service
• Community Background
• Fluency

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Eligibility- Service Obligation

• The service obligation begins upon signing a
  contract with the
• Foundation previous years of work experience
  cannot be applied
• retroactively.
• Applicants who currently owe an existing service
  obligation are
• ineligible to apply for this program until the
  current obligation is
• completed.

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Deadline

• Applications are currently being accepted. It is
  strongly encouraged that you submit all
  application materials at least three weeks prior
  to the final filing date.
• December 10, 2010 (to County Mental Health
  Director)
• County Employment or Volunteer Verification Form
• January 24, 2010 (to Foundation)
• Application
• Educational Debt Reporting Form
• Lender Statements
• Personal Statement
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Proof of Licensure, Registration or Waiver

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The Role of Counties in MHLAP

• Each County receives a specific allocation of the
  2.6 million Fund, as determined by the State
  Department of Mental Health, to guarantee at
  least one award per County.
• Counties play an integral role in the selection
  process
• County Mental Health Directors verify employment
  in a hard to fill or retain position within the
  Public Mental Health System
• Both Small and Large County representatives
  participate on the MHLAP Advisory Committee

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Advisory Committee and Selection Process
Dec. 10 Postmark deadline for applicant to mail
Employment Verification Form Jan 24 Postmark
deadline for applicant and County Mental
Health Director to mail Application materials
to Foundation.
Jan- April Applications are reviewed by the
Foundation, the Advisory Committee, DMH and
Board of Trustees.
May -June Applicants are notified of award status
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Advisory Committee

• Composition
• County representatives
• DMH representatives
• At large representatives from Licensing Boards,
  professional associations or other
• Foundation Staff

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Application Workshop

• Topics to Cover
• What do I need to know about the Instructions?
• How do I fill out the Application?
• What are Lender Statements?
• County Employment Verification Form
• How do I write a Personal Statement?
• What should Letters of Recommendation include?
• What does proof of licensure, registration or
  waiver mean?
• When and where do I submit the materials?

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Application Instructions

• First two pages of packet
• Contains background, definitions,
• scoring criteria and guidelines
• Explains what to submit and what
• information we are looking for in
• each of the seven required
• submission items

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Application

• Page 1 contains Part A
• Personal Information
• Page 2 contains Parts B-F
• Work Experience
• Community Background
• Personal Statement Questions
• Questionnaire
• Application Certification
• Additional Note on Page 2
• Utilize Submission Checklists to Ensure that all
  portions of application are complete

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Educational Debt Reporting Form

• If awarded, the Foundation will use this form to
  make payments to your lender(s)
• Fill in all spaces on the form
• Please verify the Payment Address. This is where
  the Foundation will mail your loan assumption
  check.
• If your lender requires that you include any
  special information (i.e. Social Security Number,
  Account Number, Name, etc.) in order to process
  payments, please indicate on the Form.

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Lender Statements
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Part 1 You fill out, and your direct supervisor
signs to verify the information
You mail form to County Mental Health Director
Part 2 County Mental Health Director checks
appropriate boxes, signs and mails to Foundation
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How do I write a Personal Statement?

• Question and Answer format
• Provide as much detail as possible, within two
  pages. Only the first
• two pages will be read and scored
• Mention specific examples as they relate to the
  question

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Letters of Recommendation

• Formatting requirements
• Dated and signed
• Written on the authors letterhead OR it includes
  the authors name, title, address, phone number,
  and relationship to applicant
• Content may include, but is not limited to
• Mental health work experience, cultural and
  linguistic competency as it relates to your work,
  community service, work habits, commitment to the
  mental health field, and so on.
• Who should write the letters?
• Past or current employers, supervisor of
  volunteer activities, educational instructor

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What does proof of licensure, registration or
waiver mean?

• Licensed Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Marriage
  and Family Therapists, Clinical Social Workers,
  and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners
• Provide a copy of your license
• Registered Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and
  Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Marriage and
  Family Therapy Interns, and Associate Clinical
  Social Workers
• Provide a copy of your Board registration
• Postdoctoral Assistants and Trainees or
  individuals who are not required to register
  through their Board
• Provide a copy of the letter, stating that you
  have received a waiver

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When and where do I submit the materials?

• By December 10, 2009
• Complete Part 1 of the County Employment or
  Volunteer Verification Form and postmark to your
  Countys Mental Health Director
• By January 24, 2010
• Postmark the following items to the Foundation
  Completed Application, Educational Debt Reporting
  Form, Lender Statements, Personal Statement, Two
  Letters of Recommendation, and Proof of
  Licensure, registration or Waiver

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Reasons for Ineligible Applications (Mar. 2009)

• Ineligible
• Application materials postmarked after March 24,
  2009 (12)
• Applicant owes an existing service obligation
  (10)
• Health profession does not qualify (1)
• Loans do not qualify (1)
• Outdated application used (4)
• Applicant not employed in a hard to fill or
  retain position or the Public Mental Health
  System (366)

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Reasons for Incomplete Applications (Mar. 2009)

• Incomplete
• Application missing required documentation or
  information (67)
• Application not signed (3)
• Educational Debt Reporting Form insufficient (11)
• Lender statements missing required information
  (15)
• Letters of recommendation insufficient (47)
• Personal statement insufficient (14)
• Proof of licensure or registration insufficient
  (8)

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Contact Information

• Judy Melson
• Program Officer
• JMelson_at_oshpd.state.ca.us
• [phone] or [phone]
• www.healthprofessions.ca.gov