Governor Invests $25 M to Support the Behavioral Health Workforce
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that they are investing $25 million to support the behavioral health workforce in Massachusetts.
The investments include $12.5 million in scholarships for students completing graduate degrees and certificates in behavioral health fields and $12.5 million in grants to colleges and universities with eligible behavioral health programs, to be distributed as stipends to undergraduate and graduate students completing unpaid internships and field placements in behavioral health.
Students completing behavioral health graduate programs should apply for the scholarships here by Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
Undergraduate and graduate behavioral health students looking to learn more about the field placement and internship stipends should speak with their program advisor as soon as possible.
"We need to strengthen our behavioral health workforce in Massachusetts so our residents can get the care they need, and these investments support students dedicating their time and talent into entering this field," said Governor Maura Healey. "These scholarships and internship stipends benefit students and the members of our communities that they'll serve."
A list of eligible graduate study areas for scholarship availability is available here, and it includes graduate degrees and certificates in areas such as social work, mental health counseling, substance use counseling, and mental health nursing programs.
Undergraduate and graduate programs in behavioral health require internships or field experiences, which are often unpaid and can cause students to take time off from their regular employment. The stipends for unpaid internships and field placements help lift a cost barrier to meeting this degree requirement and gaining valuable work experiences that help make graduates career ready.
"The behavioral health field needs the contributions of all residents who are passionate about this work," said Secretary of the Executive Office of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. "By lifting cost barriers to behavioral health degree programs, we're strengthening a workforce that is crucial to our state's well-being."
This academic year is the second in a two-year program designed to boost the behavioral health talent pipeline. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the state awarded $20 million to students across more than 30 colleges and universities in Massachusetts, including $10 million in behavioral health scholarships for 977 students and an additional $10 million in behavioral health internship stipends to more than 1,800 students. Under this scholarship program, students may be awarded up to $12,500 for tuition, fees, and stipends for each academic year in which they are enrolled, with a maximum of $25,000 per recipient across two academic years. Scholarship recipients must commit to working in the Commonwealth for up to two years. Students who received the behavioral health scholarship last year must re-apply to be considered for this year's scholarship.
"UMass is grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for making these scholarships and stipends available for the second consecutive year to students who are pursuing careers in behavioral health, helping to address a critical shortage of professionals in the field. This scholarship funding enables students to meet requirements for internships and field experience, which are often unpaid, and eliminates a cost barrier for many students to allow them to obtain a degree in behavioral health," said UMass President Marty Meehan.
The two-year scholarship and internship stipend investment is funded by Massachusetts' Behavioral Health Trust Fund, which was established with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and is managed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Behavioral Health Trust Fund was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Advisory Commission, which was comprised of 22 members from government and the behavioral health sector. Funds are being used to address barriers to the delivery of an equitable, culturally competent, affordable, and clinically appropriate continuum of behavioral health care and services.
