Behavioral Health Service Corps℠
Career Ladder Program
Unlock Your Potential with a (Free) Gap Year in Mental Health!
Guaranteed Job Placement and Graduate Credits
Are you a passionate, service-minded individual? Are you interested in a career in mental health? Take the next step in your professional and educational journey and join the Behavioral Health Service Corps℠.
We're looking for talented college graduates who desire to work in underserved communities and make a difference in the lives of others. You'll gain hands-on experience, earn a salary, and get credit toward your master's degree.
Make a Difference
More than 1 in 5 children and adults have behavioral health problems that impact their work, education and family life. About one-quarter of Massachusetts residents who seek behavioral health treatment are unable to secure an appointment—and for those seeking a provider with expertise in working with children or seniors, or who come from a similar cultural background, the process of finding a provider is even more complicated. Few clinicians treat children or seniors, and nearly ninety percent of behavioral health professionals nationwide are non-Latino Caucasian.
The William James College Behavioral Health Service Corps℠ offers you an introduction to this important healthcare field and the opportunity to help.
“Being a part of this program has definitely opened my eyes to what the field was like, but also my place in the field. I really came to this program to strengthen my clinical skills and to become a well-versed clinician. My previous work has been very much community service-based so a really big draw to the program was how I am able to work in communities that are underserved.”
Capryce Browne
Behavioral Health Service Corps℠ Scholar
Gain Hands-On Experience with a Guaranteed Job
and Earn While You Learn
- Participate in a skills-based orientation training at the start of the program.
- Complete a year-long, full-time placement (i.e., 2,000 hours) at a partner agency in a bachelor's level position.
- Earn a full-time salary and benefits while working to support individuals and groups in historically underserved communities.
- Provide a variety of services to patients, clients, and/or families in settings that include inpatient units, home-based programs, schools, and residential treatment and recovery centers, among others.
- Earn up to six free graduate credits taking two courses as non-matriculating students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s program at William James College. Note that employer partners will allow four hours of release time for coursework and professional development activities.
- Receive group supervision, mentorship, and career counseling support throughout the year-long experiential training.
Fridays will be reserved for academic training, mentorship, professional development, and supervisory-related activities. Scholars will be enrolled in either a morning or an afternoon cohort.
Morning Cohort: Remote on Zoom every Friday from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET
- Academic Courses: Fall and Spring Semesters (one course in the fall, one course in
the spring)
- Delivered remotely on Zoom every Friday from 9:00 – 11:50 AM ET
- Alternating Professional Development and Group Supervision Activities: Fall and Spring
Semesters
- Delivered remotely via Zoom every Friday from 12:00-12:45 PM ET
Afternoon Cohort: Remote on Zoom every Friday from 1:00 – 5:00 PM ET
- Academic Courses: Fall and Spring Semesters (one course in the fall, one course in
the spring)
- Delivered remotely on Zoom from 2:00 – 4:50 PM ET
- Alternating Professional Development and Group Supervision Activities: Fall and Spring
Semesters
- Delivered remotely on Zoom from 1:00 – 1:45 PM ET
Enroll in two courses at William James College. Courses are designed to complement and enhance the employment experience and the six credits earned during the service year can be applied towards a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Employers allot four hours per week of work release time for BHSC Scholars to participate in coursework, didactic training, and professional development activities.
Scholars work side by-side with behavioral health professionals who have committed their lives to serving the needs of others, giving scholars the opportunity to learn through direct mentoring and also the opportunity to make an impact through their own work. In addition, Scholars live and learn in the Boston area and connect with peers who share the same commitment to service.
Scholarship and Stipend: Funded by Mass General Brigham
Funded by Mass General Brigham, the Center for Workforce Development at William James College is scaling up the BHSC by recruiting, mentoring, and training individuals who belong to groups that are underrepresented in the field of behavioral health (e.g., ethnic, linguistic, or racial minority groups; first-generation college students; individuals with disabilities; LGBTQIA+ groups; and veteran/military personnel). As part of the College's ongoing strategic plan to expand, strengthen, and diversify the behavioral health workforce, the BHSC seeks to recruit new talents into the field and retain providers who are from underrepresented backgrounds, and are committed to serving individuals, families, and groups in historically excluded and underserved communities throughout the state.
The BHSC Scholarship Program is funded by Mass General Brigham—an initiative designed to recruit, mentor, and train individuals who belong to groups that are underrepresented in the field of behavioral health (e.g., ethnic, linguistic, or racial minority groups; first-generation college students; individuals with disabilities; LGBTQIA+ groups; and veteran/military personnel) and are committed to working in underserved communities.
Scholars who successfully complete and graduate from the BHSC are eligible for a $15,000 annual scholarship to defray the costs of tuition and fees when they enroll in a graduate training program at William James College.
To be eligible for the scholarship, BHSC graduates must:
- Be admitted to a master’s or a doctoral degree program (e.g., MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, PsyD in Clinical Psychology) at William James College.
- Have completed a full-time, year-long work placement (i.e., 2,000 hours) at an agency that is approved by the BHSC.
- Have received passing grades and earned 6 credits in the two courses offered through the BHSC.
- Have participated in all group supervision and professional development activities offered through the BHSC.
- Have actively engaged in mentorship and career counseling services offered through the BHSC.
- Have received a Certificate of Program Completion following their year-long enrollment in the BHSC program.
Note: BHSC graduates who complete some, but not all, of the program requirements listed above are not eligible for the scholarship.
Additionally, priority will be given to eligible BHSC graduates who:
- Self-identify as belonging to a group that is underrepresented in the field of behavioral health (e.g., ethnic, linguistic, or racial minority groups; first-generation college students; individuals with a disability; LGBTQIA+ groups; and veteran/military personnel).
- Have a demonstrated background and/or interest in serving historically excluded and underserved populations.
- Work and plan to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- Have a strong commitment to providing behavioral health services in a community health center or at a community-based agency.
Candidates for the Behavioral Health Service Corps℠ MGB-Funded Scholarships Program must fill out an application form and participate in an interview to determine their eligibility for the scholarship.
For more information about the BHSC Scholarship Program or to obtain the link to the application portal, please email workforce@williamjames.edu.
Behavioral Health Agency Partners
William James College’s partnering community agencies include:
Around campus, in the community, in the news—William James College community members are leading the conversation.
8 Reasons to Take a Gap Year with William James College
The Behavioral Health Service Corps at William James College is a year-long, paid, service-learning opportunity. If you are considering taking a gap year after your undergraduate program or are looking for a career change, the BHSC might be the perfect program for you. Read on to see just some of the reasons to take a gap year with the Behavioral Health Service Corps.
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Read moreBetter Together: BHSC Partners with Eliot Community Human Services to Provide College Graduates Paid, Hands-On Experience
Growing up, Carolina Jaldin attributes regular exposure to behavioral health services provided through her school as instrumental in processing some of the trauma she grew up with. “I can't imagine what my childhood would have looked like without the tools to comprehend all of what I was feeling,” says Jaldin, a second-generation immigrant, who was raised by a single mother from Brazil.
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