Healey-Driscoll Administration Invests $25 Million to Support the Behavioral Health Workforce in Massachusetts

 Healey-Driscoll Administration Invests $25 Million to Support the Behavioral Health Workforce in Massachusetts 

Additional scholarships and internship stipends are available to eligible behavioral health students, building on $20 million awarded to students last year 

 

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that they are investing $25 million to support the behavioral health workforce in Massachusetts. The investments include $12.5 million in scholarships for students completing graduate degrees and certificates in behavioral health fields and $12.5 million in grants to colleges and universities with eligible behavioral health programs, to be distributed as stipends to undergraduate and graduate students completing unpaid internships and field placements in behavioral health.  

 

Students completing behavioral health graduate programs should apply for the scholarships here by Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Undergraduate and graduate behavioral health students looking to learn more about the field placement and internship stipends should speak with their program advisor as soon as possible.  

 

“We need to strengthen our behavioral health workforce in Massachusetts so our residents can get the care they need, and these investments support students dedicating their time and talent into entering this field,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These scholarships and internship stipends benefit students and the members of our communities that they’ll serve.”  

 

“Our communities are stronger when residents can access behavioral health care, and that means we need to build a strong talent pipeline,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Whether students are preparing to enter the behavioral health field for the first time or growing their expertise, it’s crucial that we help those who are eager to help others.”  

 

A list of eligible graduate study areas for scholarship availability is available here, and it includes graduate degrees and certificates in areas such as social work, mental health counseling, substance use counseling, and mental health nursing programs.  

 

Undergraduate and graduate programs in behavioral health require internships or field experiences, which are often unpaid and can cause students to take time off from their regular employment. The stipends for unpaid internships and field placements help lift a cost barrier to meeting this degree requirement and gaining valuable work experiences that help make graduates career ready.  

 

“The behavioral health field needs the contributions of all residents who are passionate about this work,” said Secretary of the Executive Office of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “By lifting cost barriers to behavioral health degree programs, we’re strengthening a workforce that is crucial to our state’s well-being.”  

 

"Massachusetts is facing the same challenges that states across the country are facing: a waning healthcare workforce,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kiame Mahaniah, MD, MBA. “Over the last several years, this administration invested in our pipeline of provides, starting while they are in school. In addition to deepening their sense of community, expanding their experiences in school through internships and field placements will eventually lead to more stability for staff and patients. I’m grateful we’re able to offer this second round of funding to behavioral health students to further their educational opportunities, and eventually gain more providers in Massachusetts.” 

 

“We want as many students as possible to be able to access the high-quality behavioral health programs offered by colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega.“These scholarships and internship stipends will help students earn their degrees and strong start in a crucial helping profession.”  

 

This academic year is the second in a two-year program designed to boost the behavioral health talent pipeline. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the state awarded $20 million to students across more than 30 colleges and universities in Massachusetts, including $10 million in behavioral health scholarships for 977 students and an additional $10 million in behavioral health internship stipends to more than 1,800 students.  

 

Under this scholarship program, students may be awarded up to $12,500 for tuition, fees, and stipends for each academic year in which they are enrolled, with a maximum of $25,000 per recipient across two academic years. Scholarship recipients must commit to working in the Commonwealth for up to two years. Students who received the behavioral health scholarship last year must re-apply to be considered for this year’s scholarship.  

 

“UMass is grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for making these scholarships and stipends available for the second consecutive year to students who are pursuing careers in behavioral health, helping to address a critical shortage of professionals in the field. This scholarship funding enables students to meet requirements for internships and field experience, which are often unpaid, and eliminates a cost barrier for many students to allow them to obtain a degree in behavioral health,” said UMass President Marty Meehan.   

 

“As a university president with experience in nursing, public health, and education, I am deeply focused on the state of our healthcare systems. An aging population is driving up demand for healthcare, resulting in significant worker shortages across a variety of areas. How we reimagine our systems of care will shape our future. The Healey-Driscoll Administration’s tuition subsidies through the Behavioral Health Trust Fund exemplify strong partnership between government, higher education, and the behavioral health sector. Our universities stand ready to close service gaps, improve outcomes, and work with the Governor’s Office, health agencies, and legislators to build the skilled workforce needed to ensure all residents receive the mental health support they deserve,” said Dr. Linda Thompson, president of Westfield State University, and Chair of the Massachusetts State Universities Council of Presidents. 

 

“We are thankful for the Healey-Driscoll administration’s ongoing support of students pursuing careers in behavioral health fields. This crucial investment addresses shortages in the state’s behavioral health workforce and comes at a time when the federal government is making it more difficult and costly for those who wish to pursue a graduate degree,” said Rob McCarron, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM).  

 

The two-year scholarship and internship stipend investment is funded by Massachusetts’ Behavioral Health Trust Fund, which was established with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and is managed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Behavioral Health Trust Fund was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Advisory Commission, which was comprised of 22 members from government and the behavioral health sector. Funds are being used to address barriers to the delivery of an equitable, culturally competent, affordable, and clinically appropriate continuum of behavioral health care and services.