The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
One Ashburton Place
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
MAURA T. HEALEY
Governor
Tel: (617) 573-1600
KIMBERLEY L. DRISCOLL Fax: (617) 573-1891
Lieutenant Governor www.mass.gov/eohhs
KATHLEEN E. WALSH
Secretary
December 3, 2024
To:
Clerks of the Massachusetts Senate
Clerks of the House of Representatives
Executive Office for Administration and Finance
House Committee on Ways and Means
Senate Committee on Ways and Means
Joint Committee on Mental Health
Joint Committee on Substance Use and Recovery
Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
FY24 Legislative Report
Behavioral Health Trust
Funded under Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023 | GAA: 4000-0054; $192,000,000
Overview
Pursuant to Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023 this report provides a high-level summary of current and
future Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) initiatives funded by the
Behavioral Health Trust Fund. The Fund was established under the Acts of 2022 Chapter 77 and
credited with $192M in federal COVID-19 ARPA recovery funds for the purpose of “addressing
barriers to the delivery of an equitable, culturally competent, affordable and clinically appropriate
continuum of behavioral health care and services.” A Behavioral Health Advisory Commission
comprised of 22 members with various backgrounds convened in FY23 to make recommendations
on the disbursement of money in the Fund. The Majority of the Commission’s recommendations
were aimed at growing, supporting, and sustaining the Commonwealth’s behavioral health
workforce (inclusive of mental health and SUD/OUD roles) and includes loan forgiveness,
scholarships, clinical supervision, and internship supports, peer support for workers, behavioral
health workforce research and benchmarking, and the establishment of a Behavioral Health
Workforce Center, among other initiatives.
The efforts laid out in this report represent a broad mix of open procurement, cross-agency
collaboration, and cross-secretariat collaboration conducted in FY24 to realize the goals of the
 Behavioral Health Trust Fund and Commission. The majority of Funds directed at the behavioral
health workforce and behavioral health employer-providers that have not been distributed in FY24
will become publicly available in Fall 2024. EOHHS has filed language for line item 4000-0054 in a
supplemental budget and plans to implement several Interdepartmental Service Agreements (ISA),
contracts and programs in FY25 once authorized by the legislature.
Detail
$100,000,000 ...to enhance an existing student loan repayment assistance program for health
professionals providing mental and behavioral health care;...
Executed an amendment to the existing 10-year Master Agreement between EOHHS
and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (Mass League) to
authorize the implementation of the Expanded Behavioral Health Professional Student
Loan Repayment Program. The program is designed to provide student loan
repayment to a variety of behavioral health professionals in exchange for a four-year
part-time or full-time service commitment. Eligible Settings or Types of Services
include: 1) a community health center; 2) a community mental health center; 3) an
inpatient psychiatric hospital; 4) an acute care hospital; 5) outpatient treatment; 6)
substance use disorder treatment; 7) assessment and treatment of children with co-
occurring developmental needs; or 8) state or state-contracted programs or settings,
including school-based behavioral health providers. The Mass League has designed an
application and is working with their subcontractor to build out the application portal.
They have begun creating materials for the program such as emails, website content,
FAQ, etc. and will begin collecting applications for review in late summer 2024.
$500,000 ... a campaign to promote and bring awareness to the public about programs designed
to bolster the behavioral health workforce...
Funds will be administered by DMH in FY25 pending passage of the supplemental
budget through the newly established Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and
Prevention upon completion of an Interdepartmental Service Agreement. EOHHS has
designated the Department of Mental Health (DMH) as the host agency to support this
Office, which was established by statutory requirement via Chapter 177 of the Acts of
2022. In June, DMH hired Dr. Funmi Aguocha to oversee the work of the Office as
Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and
Prevention.
$700,000 ...a public awareness campaign to promote the availability and utilization of a no-cost
annual mental health wellness exam and other consumer protection provisions...
Funds will be administered by DMH in FY25 pending passage of the supplemental
budget through the newly established Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and
Prevention upon completion of an Interdepartmental Service Agreement. EOHHS has
designated the Department of Mental Health (DMH) as the host agency to support this
Office, which was established by statutory requirement via Chapter 177 of the Acts of
2022. In June, DMH hired Dr. Funmi Aguocha to oversee the work of the Office as
2
 Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Behavioral Health Promotion and
Prevention.
$25,000,000 ...for a scholarship program...
An Interdepartmental Service Agreement will be executed between EOHHS and the
Department of Higher Education in FY25 pending passage of the supplemental
budget. The agreement will support certain eligible Massachusetts residents in
completing behavioral health degrees on a part-time or full-time basis at eligible
public and private Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) in Massachusetts.
Scholarship recipients will commit to working in a behavioral health role in inpatient,
outpatient, acute care, substance use treatment, community-based, or clinic-based
settings, or for Massachusetts state organizations or organizations that are under
contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. EOHHS has identified a need for
more master’s level behavioral health workers in the Commonwealth and has further
prioritized graduate-level behavioral health degrees and graduate-level behavioral
health certificates for this program. Awards to eligible students will be prioritized in
the following manner: a) students enrolled at eligible institutions in localities of
highest need per the Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts Priority Geographies;
b) students who are culturally and linguistically diverse; and c) incumbent workers
seeking career advancement in behavioral health. EOHHS has established a maximum
award of $25,000 per eligible student and a maximum employment service
commitment of two years. Funds are anticipated to be available via eligible IHEs to
students enrolled in the 2024-2025 and/or 2025-2026 academic years.
$25,000,000 ...to provide stipends to support unpaid clinical hours required for field placements,
internships, apprenticeships and practicums necessary for completing educational
requirements or obtaining certification or licensure;...
An Interdepartmental Service Agreement is being executed between EOHHS and the
Department of Higher Education in FY25 pending passage of the supplemental budget
in the legislature. The agreement will provide cost of attendance support for eligible
Massachusetts residents in completing unpaid behavioral health field placements, such
as internships, apprenticeships, or practicums necessary for degree attainment in
eligible behavioral health bachelor’s or master’s degree programs at eligible public
and private Institutions of Higher Education in Massachusetts. Awards to eligible
students will be prioritized in the following manner: a) students living within or
completing field placements within Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts
Priority Geographies; b) students who are culturally and linguistically diverse.
EOHHS has established a maximum award of $20,000 per eligible student. Funds are
anticipated to be available via eligible IHEs to students enrolled in the 2024-2025
and/or 2025-2026 academic years.
$20,000,000 ...to establish new, or enhance existing, clinical supervision of students pursuing
degrees in behavioral health and behavioral health providers-in-training pursuing
certification or licensure;...
3
 EOHHS is administering the behavioral health clinical supervision program in FY25
pending passage of the supplemental budget with support from a selected vendor
whose quote was favorable evaluated as part of the RFQ to PRF76 for Support for
Development, Planning, and Implementation of Healthcare Workforce Programs for
the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the RFQ, issued
in April 2024, was for EOHHS to secure support from an approved state-wide vendor
to support the effective and efficient execution of workforce programs for the
secretariat. The behavioral health clinical supervision initiative is intended to be the
first project under a multi-year contract currently being negotiated with the selected
vendor. EOHHS anticipates that an application process for eligible behavioral health
employer-providers will be issued in Fall 2024.
$5,000,000 ...shall be expended to the MASStrong Program to provide evidence-based and
trauma-informed group peer behavioral health support to health care workers;...
An Interdepartmental Service Agreement will be executed between EOHHS and the
Center for Health Information Analytics (CHIA) in FY25 pending passage of the
supplemental budget. Funds will be administered by CHIA’s Betsy Lehman Center for
Patient Safety through a contract with a vendor, Group Peer Supports (GPS), who
currently runs the MASStrong program. The focus of MASStrong is to provide
support to frontline home care and long-term care workers through small, peer led
group sessions — prioritizing their resilience and well-being. These workers are
primarily women of color, refugees, and immigrants and many do not speak English as
a first language.
$10,000,000 ...for a bridge program to help students in kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, to
transition into the communities following an extended absence due to mental health
crises;...
An interdepartmental Service Agreement has been executed in FY24 between EOHHS
and the Department of Mental Health (DMH) for the purpose of providing technical
assistance and support for School-Based Bridge Programs by the Brookline Center’s
BRYT program. The BRYT (Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition) Program is
designed to support students with SED/SMI who have missed significant amounts of
school or are returning after absences due to hospitalization or out-of-home placement.
Recent funding from the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and additional
Behavioral Health (BH) Trust Funds have bolstered the BRYT initiative for K-12
students. DMH has allocated ARPA funds to provide technical assistance to eight
schools, while the BH Trust Funds will support 25-30 more schools. This funding
aims to focus on schools with high proportions of students at risk of dropping out,
particularly from marginalized racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
Implementation has begun and will continue through FY25.
$3,000,000 ...to assist mental and behavioral health professionals with 1-time training or practice
costs including, but not limited to, exam preparation, license and certification fees and
continuing education;...
4
 A multi-year Interdepartmental Service Agreement has been executed in FY24
between EOHHS and Department of Public Health (DPH) to implement key
behavioral health workforce retention and support strategies, including providing
eligible behavioral health workers with waivers for one-time costs associated with MA
licensure, re-licensure, and certification in FY25 and FY26 ($2.4M). Fee waivers will
begin on July 1, 2025 and are anticipated to support approximately 5,000 workers a
year. Additional funds will be used to operationalize the Unified Recovery and
Monitoring Program (URAMP) within the DPH Bureau of Health Professions
Licensure in FY25 and FY26. ($600,000) URAMP provides voluntary continuing
education and supports the return of licensed healthcare professionals to the workforce
following mental health and substance use challenges.
$500,000 ... for a comprehensive study and analysis of rates paid for behavioral health services
by both private and public payers and the adequacy of said rates to support the
provision of equitable, quality behavioral health service...
This behavioral health rates study is incorporated into an Interdepartmental Service
Agreement between EOHHS and the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission
(HPC). HPC will conduct the survey in collaboration with EOHHS, the Division of
Insurance, and other stakeholders as needed and appropriate to deliver a report and
analysis in FY25 pending passage of the supplemental budget in the legislature.
$500,000 ...to conduct a study of licensure and certification processes for the behavioral health
workforce;...
This behavioral health workforce study is incorporated into an Interdepartmental
Service Agreement between EOHHS and the Massachusetts Health Policy
Commission (HPC). HPC will conduct the study, which also includes a demographic
analysis of the current behavioral health workforce, in collaboration with the
Department of Public Health and other stakeholders beginning in FY25 pending
passage of the supplemental budget in the legislature.
$1,800,000 ...for a behavioral health workforce development center...
An Interdepartmental Service Agreement is being executed between EOHHS and
Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) to establish a Behavioral Health
Workforce Center within HPC. Guided by an Executive Director and advisory group
comprised of government and industry stakeholders, Behavioral Health Workforce
Center leadership will develop a plan to recruit, retain, and develop a diverse,
experienced behavioral health workforce, and which can provide linguistically and
culturally tailored care across the commonwealth, prioritizing rural and underserved
communities. Annually, beginning in FY25, the Center will make public any
recommendations on policies and strategies to meet the Commonwealth’s behavioral
health workforce needs.
5
6