Cal State San Bernardino, along with 15 other nonprofit community partners, will receive a portion of a $6 million grant from Kaiser Permanente Southern California to improve mental and behavioral health services in under-resourced Southern California areas. The grant, which also includes CSU Bakersfield as a community partner, is part of a five-year Community Mental Health and Wellness Initiative with an immediate Local Partnership Grant (LPG) grant allocation of $1.28 million. CSUSB will receive $80,000 to cover a 24-month period, which officially started Dec. 1. “This grant will greatly benefit our campus and those seeking a career in the mental health field,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “Training quality students who enter the mental health workforce will be invaluable to the community and beyond.” With the help of CSUSB’s School of Social Work and Department of Psychology, the grant will be used to train and place 30 culturally responsive graduate students, of whom at least half speak a language in addition to English, in a behavioral health care internship. It will also provide a monthly field seminar, and enhance academic advising and support to students, including behavioral health content, cultural and linguistic learning. The grant will offer career development support to students in securing behavioral health professional employment and in obtaining professional licenses. “The grant is vitally important to support an increase in the number of mental health service providers in the Inland Empire, especially those who can serve the diverse populations here,” said Laurie Smith, professor and director of the School of Social Work. “The Inland Empire has a shortage of qualified mental health providers and this situation is expected to worsen. The grant provides some financial support for students as well as enhanced mental health training with a cultural emphasis. In turn, these students will serve the community with high-quality mental health services.” In addition to CSUSB, the 15 other recipients, which are from Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties, include: 

  • California State University, Bakersfield
  • Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
  • San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
  • Mental Health of America of Los Angeles (MHALA)
  • National Alliance for Mental Illness Orange County
  • Cajon Valley Union School District
  • The Achievable Foundation
  • Jewish Family Service of the Desert
  • Foothill Family Services
  • Family Service Association
  • Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc.
  • Riverside University Health System Foundation
  • Mental Health of America of Los Angeles – Antelope Valley
  • Coalition for Humane Immigrants Rights of Los Angeles
  • Village Family Services (VFS)

 To learn more about the Kaiser Permanente grant, visit the Kaiser Permanente news site. About Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to kp.org/share.