The bill would create two grant programs administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Board (Board) to support residency training programs in psychiatric specialty fields and recruitment, training, and retention in behavioral health fields.
The Psychiatric Specialty Innovation Grant Program would provide incentive payments to medical schools that administer innovative residency training programs designed to increase the number of physicians in the state who specialize in pediatric or adult psychiatric care.
The Behavioral Health Innovation Grant Program would provide incentive payments to institutions of higher education that administer innovative recruitment, training, and retention programs designed to increase the number of mental health professionals or professionals in related fields, including by providing a salary increase or stipend to a faculty member who provides instruction to additional students in a degree or certificate program that graduates those professionals.
The Board would be required to draft rules regarding eligibility criteria (including requiring eligible schools to demonstrate regional and state workforce need) and guidelines for grant amounts. The Board indicates that until rules are finalized for the two programs, it is not known which institutions will be eligible for awards and what amounts they will be able to receive.
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.