On August 29th, the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the fourth round of the OMH Community Mental Health Loan Repayment Program (OMH CMHLRP). This program supports licensed community mental health programs with the recruitment and retention of mental health professionals in underserved or health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) by providing payment for educational expenses in return for a three-year service obligation.
For this round, OMH will continue to award grants for loan repayment for a minimum of 120 psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners (NPs), and psychiatric physician assistants (PAs). Psychiatrists will be eligible for up to $120,000 in loan repayment over a three-year period, while psychiatric NPs and PAs will be eligible for up to $30,000 in loan repayment over a three-year period. Awards may be prorated for part-time employees.
Employees cannot participate in both the OMH CMHLRP and any other loan repayment program simultaneously (i.e., Doctors Across New York or Public Service Loan Forgiveness). Funding will be provided directly to the licensed program, which will enter into loan repayment agreements with eligible staff and distribute payments accordingly. To ensure equitable access statewide and across programs, individual programs are eligible for a maximum of $120,000 in total annual funding. The number of available awards and funding amounts are further allocated by region (Central, Hudson River, Long Island, New York, Western) as detailed on page 9 of the RFA.
The following providers may apply on behalf of eligible existing employees or new prospective staff:
- Inpatient/CPEP: Article 28 hospital inpatient psychiatric units, Article 31 freestanding inpatient hospital programs, Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Programs (CPEPs), and Residential Treatment Facilities for Children/Youth.
- Outpatient/Crisis Residence: Article 31 outpatient programs, including Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams, Continuing Day Treatment (CDT), Children’s Day Treatment, Partial Hospitalization (PH), Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS), Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS) clinics, Crisis Stabilization Centers (Intensive and Supportive), and licensed providers of crisis residence programs.
The RFA materials are available here. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first serve basis until funds are exhausted. If all awards have not been made by January 31, 2025, awards may be reallocated to another region or waitlisted applicant. Questions and applications should be submitted to OMH.CMHLRP@omh.ny.gov.