Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program - Project Abstract The Youth Mental Health - Holistic Outreach for Promoting Equity (Y-HOPE) initiative at California State University, Sacramento, School Counseling (CSUS-SC) concentration addresses critical gaps in the behavioral health workforce by training, supporting, and placing diverse school counselor trainees in medically underserved communities. This project will recruit, train, and deploy 69 graduate-level school counselor trainees in five high-need, high-demand public school districts in Sacramento County, California. These districts are characterized by student populations that are socioeconomically disadvantaged, culturally and linguistically diverse, and significantly impacted by mental health challenges. The project seeks to transform the mental health landscape in schools by embedding trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and preventative mental health practices within comprehensive school counseling services. The initiative leverages Sacramento State’s designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and Black-Serving Institution to ensure diverse recruitment. Trainees will complete a rigorous curriculum enhanced by supplemental modules on social determinants of mental health, mental health literacy, trauma-informed practices, and creative expressive arts. In addition to 900 hours of clinical practice, trainees will engage in experiential learning activities such as interprofessional collaboration, family-community partnership initiatives, and school-wide mental health programming. To support retention and mitigate barriers faced by underrepresented graduate students, Y-HOPE provides financial stipends, mentorship, peer support, and professional development opportunities. Site supervisors receive professional development through the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) School Counseling Supervision Certificate program, fostering a robust pipeline of qualified mentors for future cohorts. Graduates commit to serving high-need schools, with priority placed on Title I schools and districts with Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) designations. The CSUS-SC concentration has a proven track record of placing graduates in high-need, high-demand schools, including medically underserved communities. Therefore, Y-HOPE requests priority funding under the HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) for Professionals Qualification 1 for having a high rate of graduate placement in practice settings with a principal focus on underserved populations. By addressing systemic inequities, fostering professional identity, and enhancing the behavioral health workforce, this initiative seeks to create sustainable change in the mental health outcomes of California’s youth.
