These are the most common barriers to becoming a practicing mental health provider.
“So many talented graduates want to serve their communities, but the last stretch to licensure can be the hardest part,” said Bechara Choucair, MD, executive vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente. “Our career accelerator provides critical support to candidates.”
We developed the program in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Built to grow, shaped by experience
We originally offered the career accelerator in Colorado and Georgia. It’s now available in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington.
As participation grew, we paused to ask one key question: What support matters most on the path to licensure?
Feedback from current and former participants, along with leaders across the mental health field, helped shape the updated program.
The result is a clearer, more focused model — one that’s easier to use in more places while staying centered on graduate needs.
“We hear the same story across the country,” National Council for Mental Wellbeing president and chief executive officer Chuck Ingoglia said. “People want to do this work, but the licensure process can be overwhelming. This partnership with Kaiser Permanente helps make the path into the mental health workforce clearer, so more people can enter the field and communities can benefit by getting the resources they need.”
Looking ahead
As the program grows, its focus will remain the same: support future clinicians, strengthen the workforce, and help more people get the mental health care they need.
Learn more about the career accelerator program and how to apply.