BH Fellows Welcomes Fourth Cohort at One-Year Mark of Program

The latest cohort of BH Fellows at their retreat at Phipps Conservatory.

The fourth cohort of BH Fellows began their two-year program with their retreat on June 26^th at Phipps Conservatory. This cohort of fellows includes 21 new and experienced family-based therapists and clinicians, service coordinators, nurses, and crisis clinicians from eleven providers across Allegheny County.

One year into BH Fellows, and the program has been celebrated as a success by partners and participants. The BH Fellows program launched recruitment in the spring of 2023 and kicked off its first cohort of fellows in June 2023.

"What I like about the BH Fellows program is the easy networking with people who want to help make a change in the field and that you get to learn about other programs and resources in the County," said Alexandra Rathmann, family-based clinician at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital and a BH Fellow in cohort one. "But really the main thing I'm getting from the program is you get to learn the skills to be able to thrive in the most difficult job settings in the field."

Fellows participate in a planting activity, “Garden of New Beginnings,” during the retreat.

BH Fellows is an Allegheny County-sponsored workforce initiative, created and managed in partnership between the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Community Care Behavioral Health, Community Family Advocates, and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF). JHF serves as the lead partner for developing and implementing the professional development for the fellows and directing recruitment efforts.

BH Fellows provides educational loan repayments (up to $25,000 for participants with a bachelor's degree or up to $45,000 for participants with a master's degree), competitive salaries, and career development experiences within a cohort model in exchange for a two-year commitment to work at an approved provider within a specific behavioral health role.

Now with over 80 current fellows, the BH Fellows program continues to grow as it seeks to support and equip the frontline behavioral health workforce in key roles that have seen high vacancy rates in recent years. BH Fellows has been noted by both Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato's All In Allegheny Action Plan and the Allegheny Country Department of Human Services' State of Human Services 2024 as a key program to advance our region's workforce.

Applications for the next cohort are open until August 1 for those looking for jobs. Additional cohorts will also be forthcoming. Visit here for more program details and to apply.