Info for Prospective Candidates

• Site Application Opens - March 15, 2025
• Site Application Deadline - June 15, 2025 
• Submit Site Application Here - (coming March 15th!)

New grads with historically marginalized identities are disproportionately impacted by barriers to achieving their full, independent license and remaining in the behavioral health workforce.  As the NHMWAC initiative is designed to grow the behavioral health workforce, the Candidate Program is designed to provide focused support to reduce barriers typically experienced by diverse new grads as they pursue their full, independent license so that they can remain and thrive in the workforce.

This program is designed to support diverse behavioral health professionals who have just graduated from their master’s or doctoral level training program in making it to full licensure.  The program refers to these recent graduates as “candidates.”   

Candidates will be selected based on a variety of measures, including diversity of identity and experience of intersectional marginalization, whether the candidate is in the first generation in their family to achieve higher education, and how far along the candidate is in earning post-graduate hours for full licensure.

The NMHWAC WA Team will support bringing together selected Sites and selected Candidates. The grant program will be responsible for selecting Sites, and will then partner with Site to select Candidates that meet the spirit of the grant, and fit well with the Site's mission and client population served. The grant program is focused on facilitating opportunities for graduates with historically marginalized to succeed in attaining full licensure, in exceptionally supportive and equitable clinical environments. 

NMHWAC Candidate Program Sites agree to employ a newly hired full-time employee (Candidate) who holds a master’s or doctoral degree and is accruing hours towards full licensure. Candidates may fill positions that are newly created or existing and unfilled.

Candidates will receive reimbursement of licensure exam fee and licensure application fee, up to an amount determined by the program. 

To ensure licensure success, the National Council has partnered with Motivo for virtual supervision services, if needed, and AATBS/Triad for licensure exam support for all Candidates. 

The NMHWAC program and it's WA Team will aim to support selected Candidates in overcoming common barriers to achieving full, independent licensure, and increasing the diverse behavioral health workforce.  Monthly Candidate meetings and quarterly trainings are intended to promote this aim, and Candidate participation is both expected and encouraged.

Candidates will be invited to quarterly trainings hosted by National Council and their partners regarding behavioral mental health training and practice; diversity, equity, and inclusion; best practices in community behavioral health; and other trending topics.

In the spirit of fostering community and camaraderie, Candidates will attend monthly meetings with other NMHWAC WA program Fellows and Candidates to share in both the challenges and successes of developing as behavioral health providers. 

Snapshot of Candidate Program benefits to Candidates: 

• Support in transitioning into the right workplace. 
• Consistent and extra state-approved supervision.
• Timely and relevant training in behavioral health trends.
• Community with others who get it, and extra support in navigating the challenges of being a new provider.
• Comprehensive licensure exam preparation.
• Financial coverage of licensing exam and license application fees.

• A candidate must hold a master’s or doctorate degree from an accredited program in one of the following, by the time their program cohort launches (Next program cohort launches July 2025): 
  • Counseling Psychology  
  • Mental Health Counseling   
  • Marriage/Couples and Family Therapy 
  • Social Work 
  • Substance Use/Addiction Counseling 
• A candidate must have one of the following associate level licenses in their behavior health field (or have submitted an application for their associate level license to the WA Department of Health), by the time their program cohort launches (Next program cohort launches July 2025): 
  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) 
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor Associate (LMFTA) 
  • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker Associate (LICSWA) 
• A candidate must intend to pursue and achieve one of the following full, independent licenses in their behavioral health field: 
  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) 
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor (LMFT) 
  • Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) 
• A Candidate must locate a historically marginalized identity, and preferably one that matches the client population at the program site where they will be employed. The diversity criteria that the NMHWAC program asks about in the candidate application are: 
  • Language aptitude in addition to English 
  • Gender identity 
  • Sexual orientation 
  • Racial identity 
  • Ethnicity identity 
  • US Veteran status 
  • Socio-economic status in family of origin 
  • Ability/disability status 
  • First generation in higher education status 
• A Candidate will either be a new employee at a program approved site (start date no earlier than one month prior to starting in the NMHWAC Candidate program) or is an existing employee at a program approved Site who recently obtained a qualifying master’s or doctorate degree and will start accruing hours for full licensure. 

 A Candidate is required to:

• Comply with all requirements, professional guidelines, ethics, and regulations of the NMHWAC Candidate Program, Washington state, and Site.
• Continue to accrue hours towards full licensure. 
• Attend monthly group supervision via Motivo (these supervision hours count towards licensure requirements!)
• Attend monthly meetings with NMHWAC WA Team. 
• Engage in NMHWAC program activities as requested, such as statewide and national convenings to share learnings and recommendations to best support people on their path full licensure. 
• Participate in gathering and submission of quarterly programmatic and impact data to track progress toward NMHWAC required program goals, and support site in similar data gathering and submission. NMHWAC will share details on reporting requirements and will strive to minimize administrative burden.  

• Amount of funding 
  • Sites receive financial support to host Candidates.
  • Candidates receive funded access to AATBS/Triad for licensure exam preparation. 
  • Candidates receive funded access to Motivo for monthly group supervision; additionally, candidates receive funded access to regular supervision provided by Motivo, if not provided in-house. 
  • Candidates receive funding for licensure exam fee and full, independent license application fee. 

Sites eligible to host Candidates must:   

• Be one of the following types of behavioral health organizations:
  • Academic medical institution  
  • Federally qualified health center  
  • Community health care clinic  
  • Other nonprofit provider  
  • Health care systems (preference to nonprofits) 
  • Private/For-Profit Sites: 
    • For-profit entities may be considered as eligible sites if the client population served, payer mix, and mission of the organization aligns with the NMHWAC program. 
    • Generally, for-profit private practices serving primarily privately insured clients are not eligible sites for this program. 
• Provide candidates/employees participating in the program a minimum annual salary designated by the program. 
• Provide health insurance options to all full-time employees within the organization. 
• Provide a safe and equitable workplace environment with reasonable opportunities for mentorship and professional development, including time for Candidate to participate in required NMHWAC program meetings and trainings. 

Register for one of the upcoming Info Sessions For Soon-To-Be-Graduates

• March 20, 2025 - 5:30pm-6:30pm
• April 23, 2025 - 5:30pm-6:30pm