Celebrating Eight Cohorts of BH Fellows

On October 22, JHF welcomed 27 newly selected fellows into the 8th cohort of the BH Fellows program with a full-day retreat at the beginning of their two-year journey. These committed behavioral-health professionals joined a network of more than 170 fellows, both current participants and graduates, strengthening the workforce across the region.

The next two years will see these fellows embark on 16 different training sessions to facilitate collaborative learning, build new leadership skills, and establish a broad network of community resources, behavioral health colleagues, and wellness tools. Trainings cover a range of topics including cultural humility, safety, ethics, and burnout.

Current and graduated fellows, like Blended Service Coordinator at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Jacob Goldsmith, have shared how impactful participation in BH Fellows has been for them: “BH Fellows has shown me that I need to pursue a career in mental health. It has shown me the importance of curiosity and networking. It has helped me notice that others in this field have similar experiences as me, and I am not alone.”

Launched in 2023 by Allegheny County Department of Human Services in partnership with JHF, Community Care Behavioral Health, and Community Family Advocates, BH Fellows program offers participants a unique combination of professional development, peer cohort support, and a two-year service commitment in roles that address critical workforce needs. Fellows also receive student-loan repayment, up to $45,000, upon completion of the program, with over $830,000 already distributed to the first two graduating cohorts of fellows.

In October, Pittsburgh’s Public Source highlighted Allegheny County’s urgent need to address its severe behavioral-health workforce shortage — especially in roles such as crisis services, family-based mental health, substance-use disorder case-management, etc. and how BH Fellows is making tangible strides to fill key frontline roles, reduce critical staffing gaps, and thereby enabled more families and individuals to receive uninterrupted care.

"The BH Fellows program has been extremely helpful, and might I even say life changing, for me. It has provided an opportunity for me to advance in my career, gain community, expand my clinical skillset, and simultaneously move closer toward achieving financial freedom. This program has helped shed light on the immense value that BH workers bring to society, but also the barriers that prevent many people from thriving in this field. After completing the BH Fellows program, I plan to move forward with a professional career as an LPC,” said Christianna Field-Green, MSc, LPC, a service coordinator at Pittsburgh Mercy.

She added her goal is to eventually supervise other young professionals working toward licensure to instill the same hope in them that the BH Fellows program has instilled in her.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the BH Fellows program or applying for a future cohort, please visit the BH Fellows website for details and upcoming deadlines.