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Rural and Tribal Behavioral Health
Distributed Learning Advanced Standing MSW Fellowship (RTBH DLAS)

Altruistic Behavior Institute 
Department of Social Work, Cal Poly Humboldt

The Rural and Tribal Behavioral Health Distributed Learning Advanced Standing MSW Fellowship (RTBH DLAS) is committed to transforming behavioral health ecosystems to address structural inequalities, respond to intersections between culture, trauma, and colonization, and expansively represent equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in services, supervision, and the workforce. In doing so, the program enacts the Altruistic Behavior Institute’s purpose to seek out ways to enhance altruism and prosocial behavior in society. 

High debt burdens, living expenses, and requirements for internship/practicum/field placement hours are reported by students, educators, and employers as significant barriers to college affordability, persistence, and completion, especially for adult learners, low-income students, and caregivers. The RTBH Fellowship strengthens California's behavioral health workforce by providing financial, career, professional, and academic support to selected applicants for Cal Poly Humboldt’s Distributed Learning Advanced Standing MSW program who have a strong interest in working for behavioral health organizations in underserved rural and Tribal communities. 

MSW program applicants from underserved and culturally diverse populations—including individuals with lived experience as consumers of behavioral health services and/or family members of consumers—who are committed to seeking a career as a licensed clinician to serve individuals, families, and communities in an underserved area are particularly encouraged to apply for a Rural and Tribal Behavioral Health DLAS MSW Fellowship.

All tuition/fees for the Cal Poly Humboldt DL Advanced Standing MSW program will be covered for selected Fellows (about $25,000 total) plus $1,500/year for other program-related expenses. Fellowship recipients will be expected to secure an approved internship providing clinical services in a behavioral health setting before the beginning of the second year of the MSW program in order to receive full program funding. More details can be found in the program application.

Applications for a Rural and Tribal Behavioral Health Distributed Learning Advanced Standing MSW Fellowship for the Class of 2027 are accepted from October 1, 2024 through January 31, 2025. The application includes a personal statement essay (about 1 single-spaced page) in response to the prompt: “Please describe why you are interested in behavioral health work that serves rural and Tribal communities and how this demonstrates the Fellowship's commitment to MSW graduates who seek a career as a licensed clinician to serve children and youth through ages 25 in an underserved area in California.” This is the same application period as admissions for the Advanced Standing Distributed Learning MSW Program which is completed through CSUApply. Selected applicants will be notified of a Fellowship offer at or around the time they find out about their MSW program application.

Apply Here: Applications for a Rural and Tribal Behavioral Health Distributed Learning Advanced Standing MSW Fellowship for the Class of 2027

For more information contact:

Ronnie Swartz, Ph.D., LCSW

Behavioral Health Workforce Development Coordinator

Director, Altruistic Behavior Institute

swartz@humboldt.edu  707.826.4562