Quick View Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship program

Summary

Background

The Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship (OBHS) Program is a statewide partnership between the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), and the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to increase the number of licensed behavioral health workers at the graduate or professional degree level. DBH has contracted with Health Impact Ohio (HIO) to administer the OBHS program.

Eligible Respondents:  

State universities as defined in ORC Section 3345.011 and private institutions holding a Certificate of Authorization pursuant to Chapter 1713 of the ORC offering at least one eligible graduate or professional degree program in behavioral health are eligible to apply.

Program Purpose 

OBHS will fund scholarships and internship stipends designed to attract capable cohorts of students committed to remaining in Ohio upon graduation and working in a behavioral health field with clients who have been traditionally underserved. Between funding from OBHS (up to $15,000/year/student - applicable to cost of attendance) and institutional gift matches, OBHS recipients will not pay any tuition or general fees. This will be accomplished by institutions providing aid that will reduce the tuition and general fees of all OBHS recipients to $0. This will allow these students to enter key professional roles in the state’s behavioral health sector debt-free or substantially debt-relieved. 

Additionally, $2.5 million is available to support internship stipends for those students selected for the program. Internship stipends will be paid directly to the student through an independent agreement with HIO.

OBHS also seeks to build the capacity of community-based behavioral healthcare that provides outpatient mental health services, substance use disorder services, and rehabilitative case management. OBHS also supports behavioral health providers that participate in OhioRISE as care management entities to support children and youth facing emotional or behavioral challenges who are involved in multiple systems like juvenile justice or child protection, are at risk for out-of-home treatment or are returning from out-of-home care.