PART 3.85. Community-Based Mentorship Program
5848.10.
(a) The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall establish a mentorship program to connect eligible students with concrete resources and mentorship that will convert the educational experience to sustained employment.(b) Under this mentorship program, the Department of Health Care Access and Information shall do all of the following:
(1) Establish minimum standards for the participation of community-based organizations in the program.
(2) Establish a process to inform eligible students, community-based organizations, and educational institutions of mentor needs and opportunities.
(3) Compensate a community-based organization’s mentorship expenses through a department grant based on the organization’s costs and the number of students it mentors.
(4) (A) Coordinate a cost-of-living stipend that a student mentee may use for education costs, housing costs, and living expenses.
(B) To encourage bilingual students to participate in this program, the Department of Health Care Access and Information shall offer an increased stipend for each eligible student who is fluent in a second language.
(c) As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Community-based organization” has the same meaning as defined in Section
651.5.
(2) (A) “Eligible student” means a student who is enrolled in a relevant undergraduate program or in a department-approved behavioral health certification program at a community college, college, university, or other approved entity.
(B) An eligible student may be at any stage of completion of their program, from initial acceptance through three months prior to graduation or certification.
(3) “Student mentee” means an eligible student who has entered into an agreement with a community-based organization pursuant to Section 5848.11.
5848.11.
After locating a community-based organization using the process created pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 5848.10, an eligible student shall enter into an agreement with the community-based organization to do both of the following:(a) Complete the mentorship program with the community-based organization concurrent with their education.
(b) (1) Commit to working for the community-based organization for two years or 4,000 hours after graduation or certification, whichever is greater.
(2) If a community-based organization cannot maintain a student mentee’s postgraduation employment, the
student mentee shall, with support from the Department of Health Care Access and Information, locate another community-based organization that provides behavioral health services with whom the student shall complete the remainder of their employment commitment.
5848.12.
(a) A community-based organization that participates in this program shall do all of the following:(1) Formally mentor each student mentee.
(2) Coordinate with each student mentee’s educational institution.
(3) Provide each student mentee with temporary work appropriate to their experience and school demands.
(4) Translate and link each student mentee’s coursework to the community-based organization’s programs and practices.
(5) Provide each student mentee with emotional and
practical support.
(6) Offer each student mentee permanent employment upon successful completion of their educational program.
(b) (1) A community-based organization may apply for the cost-of-living stipend described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 5848.10.
(2) If a community-based organization applies for and receives stipend moneys pursuant to paragraph (1), the community-based organization shall distribute those moneys to its student mentees, distinct from wages earned for work performed, while the student mentees are enrolled in their educational programs.