California Senate Bill SB 1229 is a bill that would award up to 10,000 grants of up to $25,000 each over a 3 year period to eligible postgraduate students who commit to working at an eligible non-profit entity or local education agency. While this bill is designed to play an instrumental role in addressing workforce issues within the mental and behavioral health sectors in California, it excludes approximately 11,000 employees who provide mental and behavioral services to over 120,000 Californians annually that are not employed by eligible non-profit entities.

The purpose of this petition is to ensure that there is parity in eligibility for workforce grants between those who choose to provide mental and behavioral health services at non-profits, and those who do not.