What is Workforce for a Healthy California?
Workforce for a Healthy California is a collaborative platform designed to bring workforce information and opportunities together in one space for easy access. The focus is on providing direct links to programs expanding and diversifying California’s health and human services workforce across behavioral health, primary and specialty care, nursing, allied health, and direct care professions. Roles supported by the investment include nurses, social workers, caregivers, community health workers, emergency medical technicians, and others. Workforce for a Healthy California also brings information to support individuals interested in transitioning to health careers, including English Language Learners and underserved populations.
Californians’ health care needs grow daily. That is why the State of California is committed to building our health and human services workforce while providing opportunities for better, well-paying jobs and careers. Workforce for a Healthy California complements other major initiatives, including the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, CalGrows, and the Reproductive Health Care Access Initiative — that together total more than $7 billion to expand the health and human services workforce.
- Making our health and human services workforce larger to address current shortages and meet future demand.
- Making the workforce more culturally competent and linguistically diverse so it is more inclusive and representative of California’s communities, while also leveraging health and human services careers as pathways for economic opportunity for diverse Californians.
- Expanding the skill sets of our workforce, so we can provide Californians with the quality care they deserve.
- Helping more Californians access well-paying career paths that provide access to good jobs and advancement.
- Increasing economic opportunity and security by providing Californians with greater resources to address social determinants of health—such as safe housing, healthy food, financial security, and access to health services — to create a healthier and more equitable future for all.
Workforce for a Healthy California is an interagency investment that includes the California Health & Human Services Agency and the Labor & Workforce Development Agency, along with their departments.
Funding Opportunities
Behavioral Health Scholarship Program – HCAI Application Cycle Open Jan. 2 – Feb. 13, 2025
The Behavioral Health Scholarship Program (BHSP) offers up to $35,000 in exchange for a 12-month service obligation. BHSP aims to increase the number of appropriately trained allied and advanced behavioral health professionals providing direct patient care in California. There are also scholarships available for individuals pursuing behavioral health careers in reproductive health settings.
Certified Wellness Coach – HCAI Application Cycle Open Jan. 2 – Feb. 13, 2025
The Wellness Coach Scholarship Program (WCSP) offers a life-changing opportunity to pursue your dream of becoming a Certified Wellness Coach (CWC) and making a lasting impact in your community. With scholarships of up to $35,000, WCSP supports students enrolled in associate or bachelor’s degree programs that lead to Wellness Coach Certification. In exchange, recipients commit to a 12-month service obligation providing essential CWC services to children and youth in California.
Sign up to learn more about the opportunities, events, and resources available to you through Workforce for a Healthy California!
News & Events
Workforce for a Healthy California funding helped support the combined $20M California’s Reproductive Health Service Corps (RHSC) and the Pharmacists Comprehensive Abortion and Reproductive Health Empowerment (Pharmacists CARE) Initiative that will deliver comprehensive reproductive health training for existing health workers and students in California.
- California Awards $150 Million to Support Mental Health Programs for Youth and Young Adults – Dec. 21, 2023
- California Introduces New Wellness Coach Program Aimed at Building a More Diverse Behavioral Health Workforce to Help Children and Youth – Dec. 21, 2023
- California Supports Students Through $15.6 Million in Behavioral Health Scholarships – Dec. 6, 2023
- California Announces Historic $20 Million Investment to Advance and Improve Access to Reproductive Health Care – Nov. 29, 2023
- California Launches Reproductive Health Services Corps to Expand and Improve Reproductive Care – Nov. 29, 2023
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Progress and Impact
While Workforce for a Healthy California is multi-year effort, progress is already well underway.
- Awarded $16.9 million in grants to 32 registered nurse training programs to expand and improve access to equitable healthcare. The awards support 565 student slots – an increase of 153 slots from the previous application cycle.
- Awarded $59.4 million— $30 million of which is funded by Workforce for a Healthy California — to support social work education at 23 public universities and colleges in California. The funding also supports the expansion of 16 Master of Social Work programs and will add 860 more social work student slots.
- Awarded $33.7 million— $4 million of which is funded by Workforce for a Healthy California — for social work stipends and fellowships to support 892 students pursuing careers as Licensed Clinical Social Workers.
- Executed an interagency agreement for the Acceleration of Nursing License Processing, with $10 million over three years to support a partnership between the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) and the Department of Consumer Affairs to decrease processing times for Registered Nurse licensing, identify bottlenecks and barriers to timely processing, and employ additional staffing resources to address licensing backlogs.
- Awarded $49.6 million in grants to 54 organizations with primary care residency programs. These grants will support 17 new and expanded programs and create 87 new residency positions.
- Awarded $7.9 million to Public Works Alliance to facilitate the development, implementation, and operations of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) recruitment and training programs across the state. These programs will train at-risk, underrepresented youth for careers in emergency services.
- Awarded $45 million to 11 Healthcare High Road Training Partnerships between community-based organizations, local workforce boards, labor unions, educational institutions, and employers to develop regional workforce strategies for addressing income inequality, economic competitiveness, and climate change.
- Awarded $19.7 million through California’s Employment Training Panel to support job entry and career advancement for entry-level positions and other workers in hospital, primary care, and community healthcare and human service settings.
- Awarded $84 million as a part of High Road Training Partnerships that aim to move underserved populations into better jobs. Projects receiving funding include efforts to scale proven allied healthcare adult training pathways; connect underserved populations with career education, training and skills in high-road, high-demand healthcare career pathways.
- Funded 172 healthcare apprentices in the first year of the Apprenticeship Innovation Funding (AIF), with a total of $316,958 awarded to apprenticeship programs with healthcare occupations such as Registered Nurse, Community Health Worker, Sterile Processing Technician, and Medical Assistant.
Resources
To learn more about which programs supported by Workforce for a Healthy California might be right for you, click through the following links. If you are looking for open funding opportunities, visit our Funding Opportunities section.
Workforce for a Healthy California offers scholarship and stipend opportunities to students interested in joining the health workforce.
Workforce for a Healthy California offers grant opportunities to support training providers, community-based organizations, education institutions, and health employers to build and train the health workforce.
- Social Work Initiative
- Psychiatric Provider Program
- Opioid Treatment
- Indian Health Program Grant Restoration
- Community Health Workers/Promotor(a)s/Representatives
- Emergency Medical Services Corps
- High Road Training Partnerships
- English Language Learners Health Careers
- Healthcare Workforce Advancement Fund
- 21st Century Nursing Initiative
For Health Professionals
Workforce for a Healthy California offers loan repayment and certification opportunities to current and prospective health professionals.
More Information About Workforce for a Healthy California
California is experiencing a shortage of health and human services workers, including professionals in behavioral health, primary and specialty care, allied health, nursing, and direct care. An overarching problem, even where staffing challenges are less significant, is the lack of representation and diversity in the current workforce: in race, ethnicity, language spoken, LGBTQ+ status, as well as people with lived experience. Workforce for a Healthy California is meant to respond to (1) a fundamental shortage of workers across multiple disciplines; (2) a lack of diversity in the workforce; and (3) inequities of access to quality care due to a lack of cultural competence in the workforce.
Workforce for a Healthy California is an interagency investment that includes the California Health & Human Services Agency (CalHHS) and the Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), along with their departments. We are building this investment in partnership with individuals and institutions across the state who are most affected by California’s health and human services workforce challenges. We work with providers, community-based organizations, community colleges and universities, and many others. The collaborative process to organize Workforce for a Healthy California’s component programs has involved feedback from training institutions, healthcare providers, community health workers, and more.
Workforce for a Healthy California can benefit both individuals and organizations currently involved or interested in starting a career in the health and human services sector in California. Training and career development institutions, for example, can take advantage of grant funding to support program operations. Individuals can take advantage of this investment by accessing scholarships, loan repayment opportunities, and career advancement programs. Visit the Resources section to learn more about the programs supported by the Workforce for a Healthy California investment and determine which program is the right fit for you.
Various programs within Workforce for a Healthy California offer engagement opportunities, including listening tours, webinars, surveys, and more.
