CAMPAIGN

Multicultural Student Stipend Program

Image of a graduation cap and diploma with dollar sign on it

2024-2025 Multicultural Student Stipend Program (MSSP)

The MSSP is a workforce development program established in 1988 to address the need to train and recruit staff with the skills and sensitivities to provide culturally, and linguistically competent behavioral health services to San Francisco's most marginalized communities. The program is designed to assist students in their development of skills to work with racially and culturally diverse populations, to encourage racial and cultural diversity in our intern pool and to increase the number of future clinicians working in our public behavioral health system with the skills and knowledge to serve these populations. These skills include language, racial and cultural expertise, disabilities, and understandings of principles of trauma informed care and wellness and recovery models.

Program Details

Eligibility Criteria

  • Stipends are available to student interns and trainees placed in mental health, substance use, and integrated treatment programs of Behavioral Health Services (both civil service and contracted, partner agencies) for a minimum of 16 hours per week for at least 9 months. 
  • Although priority is given to students completing graduate degrees in counseling, psychology and social work, others (including undergraduate and post-graduate interns) will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The program at which the student is interning must provide adequate supervision by a licensed and/or otherwise qualified clinician who meets the minimum supervisor requirements of the student's academic institution. 
  • Current civil service employees are not eligible to apply. 

Selection Criteria

  • Knowledge of and sensitivity to the special needs of racial and culturally diverse client populations for which there are health disparities
  • Bi-cultural and/or bilingual skills in cultures and languages of clients served by BHS programs
  • Experience with and/or a demonstrated commitment to working with behavioral health clients of diverse backgrounds, including language, age, gender-identity, culture and ability
  • Acceptance and placement at a BHS funded site which can provide specialized training and supervision in the delivery of mental health and/or substance use services to diverse client populations
  • Stated financial need
  • Placement for at least 16 hours per week for at least 9 months

Awards

  • Award amounts vary year to year depending on number of awardees and available budget
  • Generally, stipends have ranged between $1K to $5K per awardee
  • Awarded applicants will receive the award paid out in two payments: first payment in February and second payment at the end of the spring semester

Application Materials

A completed application will consist of:

  1. Completed and signed application
  2. Current resume or CV
  3. Statement of Purpose (350 words or less, see page 4 of application)
  4. Completed and signed reference form sent directly by supervisor

Applications for 2024 - 2025 are currently closed.

Application

Reference Form

Other Program Materials

For MSSP application related questions please contact:

Katy Pacino, LMFT

BHS Internship Coordinator

katy.pacino@sfdph.org 

MSSP Policy

2024-2025 MSSP Program Description

About

The San Francisco Department of Public Health, Behavioral Health Services (BHS) is committed to leading with race and prioritizing intersectionality, including sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, class, nationality, language and ability. BHS strives to move forward on the continuum of becoming an anti-racist institution through dismantling racism, building solidarity among racial groups, and working towards becoming a Trauma-Informed/Trauma Healing Organization in partnership with staff, clients, communities and our contractors.