Overview
As part of its
Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) established the Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program. The program supports behavioral health care workers who:
- Represent and/or serve underserved communities in Oregon, and
- Serve people regardless of their health care coverage (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance) or ability to pay.
As mandated by
House Bill 4071 (2022), OHA seeks to increase community access to behavioral health providers for:
- People of color,
- Tribal members, and
- Residents of rural areas.
Award Information
In exchange for two years of service, program participants will receive a tax-free award of funds to repay qualifying undergraduate and post-graduate loan debt. OHA may also consider other educational loan debt. OHA will calculate awards based on the participant's balance owed on qualifying loans.
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For full-time workers (32+ hours per week), the award is 70 percent of their qualifying educational loan debt balance, up to $50,000 per obligation year.
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For part-time workers (16-31 hours per week), the award is 35 percent of their qualifying educational loan debt balance, up to $25,000 per obligation year.
Participants who do not meet the two-year service obligation must repay the full or partial balance of their award for time not served during each obligation year.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must be currently employed providing at least 16 hours of behavioral health care services per week, including direct or telehealth patient/client care, care coordination, case management, charting and clinical supervision. Applicants must also be one of the following provider types:
Providers licensed, or on track for licensure (e.g., associates), by the following authorities to render behavioral health services:
These providers include:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
- Licensed Professional Counselor
- Clinical Psychologist
- Physician Assistant
- Physician in behavioral health (e.g., psychiatrist)
- Art Therapist
- School Counselor
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Registered Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
Providers who:
Certified providers include:
- Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP)
- Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA)
- Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
- Certified Gambling Addiction Counselor (CGAC)
- Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)
- Certified Recovery Mentor (CRM)
- Certified Gambling Recovery Mentor (CGRM)
Providers registered in the Traditional Health Worker Registry:
- Birth Doula
- Community Health Worker (CHW)
- Personal Health Navigator (PHN)
- Peer Support Specialist (PSS)
- Peer Wellness Specialist (PWS)
OHA will give priority scoring and awards to applicants who:
- Represent or identify with the ethnicity or culture of underserved communities.
- Provide behavioral health care services to underserved communities.
- Have lived experience with underserved communities.
- Speak a second language in a behavioral health care setting for underserved communities.
- Work at a Community Mental Health Program.
- Work in a rural or frontier community (as designated by the Office of Rural Health).