Multi-million dollar grant awarded to prepare social workers and family counselors in Latino communities

A new $48 million grant awarded to Cal State LA will allow more than 1,000 students to become social workers and family counselors with the opportunity to graduate debt-free. 

The upcoming social workers and counselors will obtain a Master of Social Work (MSW) and School-Based Family Counseling (SBFC) designation to address the urgent mental health crisis in the region. Both programs have longstanding roots in East Los Angeles and surrounding communities and are critical contributors to the region’s mental health and public‑service workforce.

The majority of funding will support student scholarships, reducing financial barriers that often limit graduates from pursuing careers in public service, according to Cal State LA. 

The new graduates can focus on the youth mental health crisis in schools and communities in Los Angeles. 

This is welcome news for Cal State LA alumni and now Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Lilian Saldaña, who graduated from the MSW program in 2019. As a medical social worker in Boyle Heights, she primarily works with the Latino community. While she didn’t receive help from the grant, she said she loved the program because she felt very supported by her professors.

Now with her expertise, she brings this help to the local community, not only in English but also in Spanish. 

“Mental health is still something that is not usually talked about,” she said. “In my experience, there is a high need for Spanish-speaking therapists to address the needs of the community.”

Much-needed help 

Hermilia Melero, field education director for the School of Social Work at Cal State LA, said this is a great opportunity for students who get selected. Cal State LA is considered a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) with a student body that is more than 74% of Hispanics. 

“Most of our students are Latino, Latina and who come from the communities surrounding Cal State LA. And they go back into their communities to provide services, and they're going back with a Master's degree and debt-free, essentially, so they get a leg up,” she said. 

Melero said the MSW program is comprised of at least 60% Latino students and despite Cal State LA being one of the most economical universities, it’s still a burden for many low-income families.

 They feel they won't have the financial means to be able to do it, and because of that, they defer or they don't apply at all,” she said.

For those who make it, Melero said, they show immediate interest in working with the most vulnerable populations and return to their communities. These students usually pursue their Master’s in Social Work to have a career in mental health, clinical, psychiatric work and behavioral health. 

The grant is coming from the Ballmer Group – funded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and husband Steve Ballmer – with the objective to expand program capacity by doubling the one‑year MSW program, increasing the two‑year MSW program by 50 percent, and doubling the SBFC program. 

“Cal State LA has a proven record of preparing diverse, community‑rooted graduates who go on to make a meaningful difference,” said Kim Pattillo Brownson, spokesperson for Ballmer Group Los Angeles, in a press release. “This investment expands pathways into the field and supports the vital work of delivering high‑quality, culturally responsive care where it is needed most.”

Professionals giving back

After graduation, the new professionals have the opportunity to share their expertise working on nonprofit agencies, with the Department of Mental Health directly or with one of the satellite offices. There are also opportunities with the Department of Children and Family Services, agencies involving the justice system, for example, those who are returning home from prison or incarceration of any kind. And lately, the student population has been one a main focus. 

“So you're going to see a lot of our students go back into various unified school districts. LAUSD being the largest, and that's where a lot of our students also go to do mental health,” Melero said. 

The benefit not only goes to the communities being served, but also to the professionals. Cal State LA has a record of ranking number one in the United States for upward mobility, meaning students improve their socioeconomic status, transitioning from lower to higher income brackets. The university excels at enrolling students from low-income families and propelling them into the top five list of income earners.

Saldaña said that learning about mental health is extremely important, especially about trauma responses and the barriers to accessing resources for all communities, including the undocumented and immigrant communities.

“I think it is great that CSULA got a grant to train professionals. I think it can make a great difference in the community,” Saldaña said.