BH Fellows Program Celebrates First Graduating Class
Type: News
Focus Area: Workforce Development
Karen Feinstein, Sara Innamorato, and Erin Dalton with the first graduating cohort of BH Fellows. With the first cohort, approximately $850,000 was invested into student loan repayment for participants.
This spring marked a major milestone for the Behavioral Health (BH) Fellows program as it celebrated the graduation of its inaugural cohort. On May 8, 2025, 23 dedicated fellows were honored at a special event at the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens, recognizing the completion of their two-year commitment to strengthening the region’s behavioral health workforce.
Launched in 2023, the BH Fellows program—an initiative of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) in partnership with Community Care Behavioral Health, Community Family Advocates, and JHF was created to support and retain frontline behavioral health professionals in high-need roles. The graduation of the first cohort highlights the program’s impact, not only on the fellows themselves but on the communities they serve every day.
County Executive Sara Innamorato speaks to the BH Fellows at the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens.
At the ceremony, remarks were shared by County Executive Sara Innamorato, ACDHS Director Erin Dalton, and Dr. Feinstein. Each praised the graduates for their commitment to this pioneering program and for their service to individuals and families throughout Allegheny County. “You took a chance on something new,” said Innamorato, “and that choice is making a difference for you—professionally and personally—as well as for the people you support every single day.”
Sits inception, BH Fellows has helped reduce staffing gaps across the behavioral health system by supporting more than 120 professionals—including therapists, case managers, peer specialists, and others—through a unique combination of student loan repayment and peer-based training. Fellows are guaranteed full-time positions with approved provider agencies and commit to two years of service in roles such as family-based mental health, crisis response, and outpatient care. In return, they receive up to $45,000 in student loan repayment, competitive salaries, and access to a vibrant professional learning community.
ACDHS Director Erin Dalton addresses the graduating BH Fellows.
Thanks to the program’s support, over 1,300 Allegheny County residents have received uninterrupted care they might otherwise have gone without. To date, approximately $4.4 million in student debt repayment has been pledged across the first six cohorts, enabling one in four fellows to eliminate their entire student loan balance and nearly two-thirds to pay off more than half.
With this first graduation behind them, the BH Fellows program continues to grow. Originally designed to support five cohorts, the program has been extended to recruit through 2026 and will now support up to 11 cohorts of fellows. This expansion ensures that even more passionate individuals will have the opportunity to build meaningful careers while making a lasting difference in the behavioral health field.
Learn more about the BH Fellows program or find out how to apply here.
