October 14, 2024 – SACRAMENTO, CA —The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) is pleased to announce the first round of funding awarded through the new “Wellness Coach Designated Education Program,” made possible through partnership with the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI).

In total, $1,520,644 was awarded to eight California Community Colleges to develop and implement a “Certified Wellness Coach” training program. This program aims to address impending mental health challenges for children and youth by training new Certified Wellness Coaches to provide care to young people through prevention and early intervention services. Coaches will promote social-emotional well-being, preventing behavioral health challenges, and increasing access to mental health and substance use services for youth across California.

“This grant program allows us to meet workforce gaps and career advancement which will contribute to helping children and youth across our state. The California Community Colleges’ commitment to workforce innovation and willingness to design programs to align with the Certified Wellness Coach competencies will not only help us build this workforce, but it will also help bring the much-needed resources where they are needed most.” — Dr. Sharmil Shah, MA., Psy.D, Assistant Deputy Director, Office of Health Workforce Development, HCAI

“We are both proud and honored to partner with HCAI on this vital initiative. The Wellness Coach Designated Education Program aligns seamlessly with our mission to enhance educational pathways and address critical workforce needs in our communities. California community colleges are poised to develop diverse, intentional, and culturally competent wellness coaches, further advancing our commitment to an inclusive and holistic approach to mental health support.” — Iris Aguilar, Vice President, Equity and Community Impact, Foundation for California Community Colleges

Ten applications were received during this funding phase from community colleges. This year’s awardees are as follows:

• Allan Hancock College – Allan Hancock’s proposed work plan clearly demonstrates their strategy to implement the program through closing curriculum gaps, recruiting students from varied backgrounds and prioritizing at-risk and/or justice-involved youth, developing MOUs with community partners, and coordinating internships and placements.
• Bakersfield College – Bakersfield recognizes the importance of addressing health disparities and promoting overall well-being as they represent a diverse community of youth and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Their faculty and staff are experienced in implementing projects of this size and are confident in their ability to sustain and scale the program. Additionally, they have committed to collecting and analyzing data on a regular basis to ensure the program is meeting the needs of students, community, and stakeholders.
• Chabot College – With a student and community centered focus, the Chabot College is motivated to supplement their Human Services curriculum to meet the needs and successfully implement a Wellness Coach program. With strong partnerships, internally within the college and with local community groups, the program aims to improve the behavioral health workforce and resources within Alameda County. Lastly, faculty commitment, experience, and education within mental health and human services places a strong foundation for a Wellness Coach program.
• Cuesta College – Their Social Work and Human Services department offers degrees and certificates within the mental wellness profession and align well with the program. They have committed to prioritizing students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and those with mental health challenges. Providing funds to Cuesta will allow them to support their faculty and staff as they stand up the program. Additionally, Cuesta plans to use the funding on outreach and marketing materials to promote the project.
• East Los Angeles College – Located in a highly diverse area, ELAC notes that their population comes from largely lower socio-economic backgrounds such as formerly/currently incarcerated persons, youth, displaced homemakers, unhoused individuals, and individuals in recovery. Additionally, ELAC has experience managing $9 million dollar grants within their Addiction Studies Program which is also affiliated with their Psychology Department. Lastly, with over 30 years of experience ELAC is strategically interwoven in the workforce ecosystem of Southern California.
• Folsom Lake College –Folsom Lake College’s Social Work & Human Services program plays a critical role of educating future social work and human services professionals who are well-prepared for and committed to addressing individual, family, and community needs by improving problem-solving capacities, strengthening communities, and creating a more equitable community. This work aligns directly with the purpose of the Wellness Coach Designated Education Program and will be a great addition to the certifications they already provide to their students.
• Santa Rosa Jr. College – Santa Rosa Jr. College’s program is strong and exists already without the grant funding and will continue to do so. Additionally, the program that aligns with the certification already has support capacity embedded in their department. Lastly, they have established awareness and alignment for the wellness coach certification requirement with in-place support. The grant program needs to establish the awareness and alignment of the Wellness Coach certification requirement to students enrolled in the appropriate majors.
• Southwestern College – With an equity-focused framework, Southwestern has built-in wrap-around services that are proven to lead to higher student enrollment, retention and success. Additionally, Southwestern serves a unique Hispanic, Indigenous, and immigrant community which further advances the Wellness Coaches Designated program’s objective to further diversify the behavioral health field and could support other colleges with culturally competent resources and strategies. Lastly, Southwestern has established relationships and identified areas of expansion that demonstrates an advanced understanding of behavioral workforce landscape and available opportunities.

Project proposals were evaluated by the program guidelines provided to all applicants, and the final awardees were chosen for their alignment with the grant program’s purpose to develop and implement a curriculum aligned with the state’s requirements for the Certified Wellness Coach I Certification training.

FoundationCCC administers the Wellness Coach Designated Education Program grant with funds provided through HCAI. This grant program is designed to support building a public behavioral health workforce that better represents the diversity of behavioral health needs of California’s children and youth.

To learn more about the Wellness Coach Designated Education Program and future funding cycles, please go here.

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The Foundation for California Community Colleges works to benefit students, colleges, and communities by accelerating paths to economic and social mobility, strengthening communities, and reducing barriers to opportunities for all Californians. FoundationCCC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1998. It serves as the official statewide nonprofit organization supporting the California Community Colleges, the largest system of higher education in the nation. For more information, visit www.foundationccc.org.

The California Department of Health Case Access and Information (HCAI) is committed to expanding equitable access to health care for all Californians—ensuring every community has the health workforce they need, safe and reliable health care facilities, and health information that can help make care more effective and affordable.

HCAI develops, supports, and expands a health workforce that serves medically underserved areas, represents the California it serves through racial and language diversity, and serves Medi-Cal members. It also offers programs that provide financial support to organizations expanding educational capacity, individuals to pursue health careers (scholarship and loan repayment), and organizations to build the workforce pipeline.