HF3418 Summary

• Expands the health professional education loan forgiveness program to include mental health professionals providing up to 768 hours per year of clinical supervision in their designated field, in addition to those practicing in rural areas or underserved urban communities.

• Establishes a mental health provider supervision grant program providing up to $7,500 per intern or clinical trainee to licensed or certified mental health providers serving state public program enrollees or communities of color, with funds also available for licensing application and examination fees.

• Creates a mental health professional scholarship grant program awarding grants to mental health providers to fund tuition reimbursement and related costs for employees pursuing master's level education programs to become licensed mental health professionals.

• Modifies case manager qualifications to allow individuals without a bachelor's degree to qualify through alternative pathways including three to four years of case manager associate experience, nursing credentials with specialized psychiatry training, or eligibility under 1998 Department of Human Services waiver provisions.

• Appropriates $3,825,000 in fiscal year 2023 for loan forgiveness ($1,000,000), supervision grants ($1,200,000), scholarship grants ($250,000), peer specialist training ($150,000), cultural and ethnic minority infrastructure grants ($1,200,000), and a mental health professional information website ($25,000).