LA County Stipend Application

2019-2020 Los Angeles County Stipend Program Information

The County has partnered with the MFT Consortium to address the County's workforce need for qualified mental health practitioners capable of providing culturally and linguistically competent services in certain geographic areas or specialized treatment programs. Students are recruited from the MFT schools that participate in the MFT Consortium of Greater Los Angeles. On behalf of this partnership, administration of the stipend program is provided by Phillips Graduate University.

LAC DMH MFT Stipend Program Information 2019-2020.

LAC DMH MFT Stipend Application 2019-2020.

The application deadline is October 23, 2019. Students will be notified of their selection status from November 7 - 9. Students selected to receive a stipend will be required to attend a mandatory Stipend Orientation on November 19, 2019.

IRS W-9 Form

Stipend Goal And Objectives

The goal of the LA County Stipend Program is to increase the public mental health workforce with qualified individuals committed to providing services in high need areas. The objectives of the program are:

  1. To recruit graduate students who have the capacity to provide services in one of the threshold languages in areas identified as high need. The threshold languages include Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and additional Chinese dialects.
  2. To recruit graduate students who have cultural competency and the capacity to provide culturally appropriate and sensitive services to consumers in areas identified as high need.
  3. To recruit graduate students who will be employed to serve in areas the County has designated as a workforce priority. These areas are currently identified as Service Area 1 (Antelope Valley), Service Area 4 (Downtown Los Angeles), Service Area 6 (South Los Angeles), Service Area 7 (East Los Angeles), services in juvenile justice programs and the jail system throughout the County, Specialized Foster Care (Katie A), programs funded through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), and service programs to older adults and veterans.
  4. To recruit graduate students who have prior experience in the mental health delivery system of the LA County Department of Mental Health through previous or current employment or through practicum (traineeship) training.
  5. To recruit graduate students who have prior training or experience with public mental health services provided to veterans, either through practicum (traineeship) training or through curriculum specialization.
  6. To recruit graduate students who have prior training or experience with public mental health services provided to older adults, either through practicum (traineeship) training or through curriculum specialization.
  7. To recruit graduate students who have prior training or experience with public mental health services provided to the homeless population, either through practicum (traineeship) training or through curriculum specialization.

 Stipend Commitment

Stipend recipients will need to be employed for one year as an MFT Associate in a public mental health agency, either directly operated by or contracted with the County's Department of Mental Health, and providing clinical services to DMH clients in high need areas and programs.

Eligibility For LA County's Stipends

Students in the last year of pursuing their graduate degree who graduate between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 are eligible and encouraged to apply. In addition, students need to meet the following criteria:

  1. Must be graduating from a regionally accredited school which is a member of the MFT Consortium of Greater Los Angeles and listed in the “Qualifying Schools for LA County Stipends 2019-2020”.
  2. Must pass a criminal record background check (Live Scan prints will be required when applying for employment)
  3. Must be able to legally work in the United States
  4. Must be willing to commit to one year of full time employment at a DMH operated or contracted agency after graduation
  5. Must be eligible to register as a MFT Associate with the BBS upon graduation

Recommendation by Applicant's School

Only schools that are members of the MFT Consortium of Greater Los Angeles and have attended the 2019-2020 Educators' Stipend Orientation qualify for the LA County Stipend Program. Student applicants must be recommended by their schools for the LA County Stipend Program. Students must contact the school stipend representative to declare interest in applying and be added to the school's recommended list. The school representative will also provide advisement to the student regarding the application process and the student's capacity to provide mental health services in the public mental health systems in designated high need areas and programs. The school representative's list of recommended students verifies that their degrees will post between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. A student's application will not be processed if the student's name is not included on school's recommended list.

Students in the MFT programs can check the list of “Qualifying Schools for LA County Stipends 2019-2020” to ensure their school qualifies as well as notifying the appropriate school stipend representative.

For questions contact your school's stipend representative or email the MFT Stipend Program at Phillips mftconsortium@pgu.edu.