SECTIONS 128454-128458 - California Statutes

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE

SECTION 128454-128458

128454. (a) There is hereby created the Licensed Mental Health
Service Provider Education Program within the Health Professions
Education Foundation.
(b) For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall
apply:
(1) "Licensed mental health service provider" means a psychologist
licensed by the Board of Psychology, registered psychologist,
postdoctoral psychological assistant, postdoctoral psychology trainee
employed in an exempt setting pursuant to Section 2910 of the
Business and Professions Code, or employed pursuant to a State
Department of Mental Health waiver pursuant to Section 5751.2 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code, marriage and family therapist,
marriage and family therapist intern, licensed clinical social
worker, and associate clinical social worker.
(2) "Mental health professional shortage area" means an area
designated as such by the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) of the United States Department of Health and
Human Services.
(c) Commencing January 1, 2005, any licensed mental health service
provider, including a mental health service provider who is employed
at a publicly funded mental health facility or a public or nonprofit
private mental health facility that contracts with a county mental
health entity or facility to provide mental health services, who
provides direct patient care in a publicly funded facility or a
mental health professional shortage area may apply for grants under
the program to reimburse his or her educational loans related to a
career as a licensed mental health service provider.
(d) The Health Professions Education Foundation shall make
recommendations to the director of the office concerning all of the
following:
(1) A standard contractual agreement to be signed by the director
and any licensed mental health service provider who is serving in a
publicly funded facility or a mental health professional shortage
area that would require the licensed mental health service provider
who receives a grant under the program to work in the publicly funded
facility or a mental health professional shortage area for at least
one year.
(2) The maximum allowable total grant amount per individual
licensed mental health service provider.
(3) The maximum allowable annual grant amount per individual
licensed mental health service provider.
(e) The Health Professions Education Foundation shall develop the
program, which shall comply with all of the following requirements:
(1) The total amount of grants under the program per individual
licensed mental health service provider shall not exceed the amount
of educational loans related to a career as a licensed mental health
service provider incurred by that provider.
(2) The program shall keep the fees from the different licensed
providers separate to ensure that all grants are funded by those fees
collected from the corresponding licensed provider groups.
(3) A loan forgiveness grant may be provided in installments
proportionate to the amount of the service obligation that has been
completed.
(4) The number of persons who may be considered for the program
shall be limited by the funds made available pursuant to Section
128458.

128456. In developing the program established pursuant to this
article, the Health Professions Education Foundation shall solicit
the advice of representatives of the Board of Behavioral Sciences,
the Board of Psychology, the State Department of Mental Health, the
California Mental Health Directors Association, the California Mental
Health Planning Council, professional mental health care
organizations, the California Healthcare Association, the Chancellor
of the California Community Colleges, and the Chancellor of the
California State University. The foundation shall solicit the advice
of representatives who reflect the demographic, cultural, and
linguistic diversity of the state.

128458. There is hereby established in the State Treasury the
Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund. The moneys in the fund,
upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be available for
expenditure by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development for purposes of this article.