Behavioral Health Workforce Initiatives – Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

When reviewing pass rates for behavioral health licensing exams, it has been well documented that disparities exist among racial groups, individuals for whom English is a second language, and those aged 32 years and older. These disparities are linked to inequitable access to economic, educational, and social resources.

To address this, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (Mass League) is administering the Licensure Equity Achievement Program (LEAP) in partnership with Mass General Brigham (MGB). LEAP’s mission is to ensure equal access to licensure opportunities by eliminating barriers hindering diverse individuals from becoming licensed behavioral health professionals.

Our goal through this program is to support up to 66 behavioral health providers per cycle over two cycles. We have awarded 33 individuals to date, with two having already passed their licensure exam following participation in this program.

Participants eligible for this program include behavioral health master’s and doctoral-level psychology graduates who have been employed by a CHC for at least 90 days, and who meet at least one of the following criteria: identify as a person of color, speak English as a second language, are 32 years or older, or were participants in the Behavioral Health Internship Pipeline Program (BHIPP) seeking licensure in the below disciplines:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselor
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor 1
• Doctoral Psychology

Stay tuned for eligibility and application details. For any questions about this program, please send an email to [email protected].