CAMPAIGN
San Francisco County Loan Repayment Program
CAMPAIGN
San Francisco County Loan Repayment Program
San Francisco County Loan Repayment Program
The purpose of the San Francisco County Loan Repayment Program (SFCLRP) is to provide financial incentive to retain current qualified, eligible employees in hard-to-fill/retain positions within SF Behavioral Health Services. Receive up to $10,000 towards qualifying student loans. Application LinkProgram Details
Before you apply
To be eligible to participate in the SFLRP applicants must:
- Be a legal permanent resident and have the ability to work in the state of CA
- Have been employed in a BHS setting for a minimum of six (6) months prior to the close of the open application period (December 31, 2023)
- Have no outstanding service obligation to another entity
- Have an active student loan in good standing from a commercial or US government lending institution
How much is being awarded?
- Awardees may receive up to $10,000 after a twelve (12) month service obligation.
- In no event shall the amount of the award exceed the amount of your outstanding educational debt. Payments are made directly to your lender(s).
What professions are considered eligible?
- Associate Clinical Social Worker
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
- Licensed Psychiatrist
- Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Licensed Clinical Psychiatric Pharmacist
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist
What is a qualified job site?
An applicant must be working in a San Francisco County behavioral health care setting for a minimum of six (6) months, either:
a) directly under the employment of the county or
b) in a contracted, community-based mental health or substance use disorder agency.
What if I change job sites?
The purpose of the SFCLRP is to incentivize eligible employees to remain in their hard-to-retain/fill positions. Changes in job site or service community are not permitted during the application period, beginning March 1, 2024, or within the 12-month service obligation.
Contact
For questions related to the application process and requirements, contact aileen.dizon@calmhsa.org.
For questions related to SF BHS eligible contracted, community-based mental health agencies and/or the "hard-to-fill/retain" eligibility criteria, contact ryan.fuimaono@sfdph.org.
Additional Information
Please see the Program Guide (downloadable link below) and review complete eligibility requirements prior to applying.
Eligibility Requirements
Work Hours and Location
- Must work a minimum of 32 hours per week in an eligible County-operated public mental health setting or a contracted, community-based mental health agency.
- Psychiatrists must work a minimum of 20 hours per week in a public mental health program.
Employment Status
- Must be employed in an eligible provider role as identified in the application, for a minimum of of six (6) months in a permanent position.
Total Weekly Hours of Direct Service
-
Must provide a minimum of 20 hours of direct service per week.
(Part-time psychiatrists are exempt from the minimum 20-hour direct service requirement)
And At Least One of the Following:
- Providers who are bilingual in one of the Greater Bay Area Regional Partnership county's threshold languages and/or who represent the ethnically and culturally diverse communities served
- Bilingual in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Farsi or Vietnamese
and/or
- Have lived experience as a mental health consumer/family member or represent a culturally or ethnically diverse community
Or:
2. Providers in hard-to-fill/retain positions, or those who possess experience or expertise in hard-to-fill/retain skill sets
- Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners
- Clinical psychiatric pharmacist
- Psychiatrists, especially child psychiatrists
- Providers with integrated primary care/behavioral health care experience/expertise
- Providers who work in programs delivering services to:
- Older adults
- Transitional age youth
- LGBTQI2-S
- Youth in the juvenile justice system
- Clients with forensic mental health services
What professions are considered eligible?
- Associate Clinical Social Worker
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
- Licensed Psychiatrist
- Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Licensed Clinical Psychiatric Pharmacist
- Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Qualifying and Non-Qualifying Educational Loans
Government and commercial education loans obtained for health care professional degrees, which are in good standing, qualify for the SFLRP.
The following types of debt are not eligible for repayment under the program:
- Loans in default
- Loans repaid in full
- Credit card debt
- Primary care loans
- Personal lines of credit
- Residency loans
The applicant must have obtained the eligible educational loans in their own name. Eligible educational loans consolidated with loans owed by any other person, such as a spouse, are ineligible for repayment. For loans to remain eligible, applicant/awardees must keep their eligible educational loans separate from other debts.
Program Timeline
Close Applications
- December 31, 2023 5PM PST
Program Winners Selected & Contacted
- January 2024
Applicant Contracts Generated, Lender Information Requested
- February 2024
Service Obligation Period Begins
- March 1, 2024
Service Period Check-In 1
- TBD
Service Period Check-In 2
- TBD
Service Obligation Period Ends
- February 29, 2024
Funds Dispersed
- May 2024
