Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LAC DMH) Stipend

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LAC DMH) offers an $18,500 stipend to select MSW students across Los Angeles County who demonstrate a commitment to public mental health. Students awarded a stipend must commit to one-year of employment post-graduation in a clinical capacity at an agency either directly operated or contracted by LAC DMH. Please consider this notice with the understanding that the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is simply sharing information about the LAC DMH stipend program. Administration of this stipend program is managed by Phillips’ California Stipend Program of Campbellsville University at the Los Angeles Education Center (CULAEC).

Stipend Amount

$18,500.

Eligibility Criteria

MSW students who complete their degrees by May or August each year are eligible.

How to Apply

Interested students should first review the Phillips' California Stipend Program website before attempting to complete the application. Information provided on this website will assist students in preparing for what is needed for the application.

The application process will take at least thirty minutes to complete and must be submitted once the process is started. Students will be unable to resubmit an application if there are mistakes. It is highly recommended that students complete the sample application, then cut and paste the information into the formal application document for submission.

Students are encouraged to prepare in advance for the multiple required essays in the application, which have a maximum 200-word count.

• One essay asks students to convey their interest in and commitment to working within the LAC DMH delivery system. 
• Two of the essays ask students to demonstrate personal background/individual strengths and their work experience. 
• Three of the essays ask students to detail their clinical experience providing in-person care and telehealth services, and to explain the importance of service provision within a multidisciplinary team.

Additionally, students will be asked to complete some general information at the beginning about qualifications and experience, limited to a maximum 50-word count.

Questions regarding the 2023 LA County DMH stipends should be submitted via email to: caconsortium@campbellsville.edu

Christina (Tina) Paddock, LCSW, associate teaching professor, is the LAC DMH Stipend Coordinator for USC Social Work. Please keep in mind that Professor Paddock simply serves as a liaison with CULAEC, so she should be contacted only if students have further questions AFTER reviewing the aforementioned information and AFTER first communicating with CULAEC.