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Scholarship Awards Distributed in Collaboration with Mixteco \/ Ind\u00edgena Community Organizing Project and the Ventura County Community Foundation<\/em><\/p>\n CAMARILLO, Calif., Nov. 18, 2024 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) today announced the launch of a groundbreaking scholarship program that aims to develop a more diverse behavioral health workforce to ensure Ventura County residents have access to culturally responsive care. The $1.5 million initiative is funded through the state Department of Health Care Services\u2019 Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP), which aims to expand access to behavioral health services for children and adolescents enrolled in Medi-Cal.<\/p>\n The scholarships will support students who are planning to become direct behavioral health service providers to obtain the necessary post-secondary education at all levels, from certification programs for Community Health Workers to doctoral degrees for future psychologists or medical school for future psychiatrists. The scholarships will be distributed through partnerships with:<\/p>\n \u201cThis scholarship program is a vital step toward building a behavioral health workforce that mirrors the communities of Ventura County and ensures that all residents, especially the most vulnerable, have access to compassionate, culturally responsive care,\u201d said Dr. Felix Nu\u00f1ez, GCHP\u2019s acting chief executive officer (CEO). \u201cWhen providers reflect the backgrounds and experiences of the populations they serve, it fosters trust, improves communication, and leads to better health outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n MICOP will manage $750,000 over six academic years. Their application period is open now through Dec. 1, 2024, for the Spring semester. Those who are interested can apply here:\u00a0https:\/\/mixteco.org\/community-organizing-policy-advocacy\/tequioscholarship\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMICOP is thrilled to partner on this groundbreaking investment in behavioral health scholarships for Indigenous migrant students and those from farmworking families in Ventura County,\u201d said MICOP Associate Director Genevieve Flores-Haro. \u201cThis initiative is not just about filling gaps in the behavioral health workforce; it\u2019s about nurturing the next generation of compassionate practitioners\u2014from community health care workers (promotoras) to licensed therapists\u2014who, in turn, will be ready to serve our communities here in Ventura County with cultural and linguistic care.\u201d<\/p>\n VCCF will provide annual awards of approximately $26,250, funded through a $750,000 endowment, with distributions beginning in Fall 2026 and continuing forward in perpetuity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe extend our heartfelt gratitude to Gold Coast Health Plan for establishing the GCHP Behavioral Health Scholarship Fund, a transformative initiative supporting Ventura County residents pursuing education in behavioral and mental health,\u201d said VCCF Scholarship Director Kirsti Thomspon. \u201cThis scholarship not only opens doors for local students but also strengthens our community\u2019s future, as awardees commit to meeting critical behavioral and mental health needs here in Ventura County upon graduation. We are proud to partner with Gold Coast Health Plan in fostering a healthier, more resilient community.\u201d<\/p>\n Designed to reduce financial barriers, the scholarships can be used for tuition, books, and living expenses, ensuring recipients can focus on their education and professional development.<\/p>\n The Scholarship amounts by educational level are as follows:<\/p>\n About Gold Coast Health Plan<\/strong> About the Mixteco \/ Indigena Community Organizing Project<\/strong> Acerca de la Fundaci\u00f3n Comunitaria del Condado de Ventura<\/strong> Scholarship Awards Distributed in Collaboration with Mixteco \/ Ind\u00edgena Community Organizing Project and the Ventura County Community Foundation CAMARILLO, Calif., Nov. 18, 2024 \u2013\u00a0Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) today announced…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":22117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-coverage"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22102\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vccf.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nGold Coast Health Plan proudly serves nearly 250,000 Medi-Cal members in Ventura County through its network of primary care physicians, specialists, behavioral health providers and hospitals. Since it was founded in 2011, Gold Coast Health Plan has been committed to providing access to high-quality care and improving the health of its members, which include 1 in 3 county residents, 1 in 6 seniors, and 1 in 2 children up to the age of 5. To learn more, visit:\u00a0www.goldcoasthealthplan.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nThe Mixteco \/ Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) is dedicated to supporting, organizing, and empowering the indigenous migrant communities along California\u2019s Central Coast. With over 20 programs operating in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, MICOP provides vital direct assistance, community organizing initiatives and policy advocacy work. To learn more about our work, please visit\u00a0www.mixteco.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nEstablecida en 1987, la Ventura County Community Foundation se ha centrado en la construcci\u00f3n de la filantrop\u00eda en nuestra regi\u00f3n mediante la administraci\u00f3n de legados a trav\u00e9s de una gesti\u00f3n cuidadosa del capital caritativo que se nos ha confiado. Estamos comprometidos con una perspectiva a largo plazo para el condado de Ventura. Honramos la intenci\u00f3n de los donantes protegiendo las dotaciones para siempre, y nos especializamos en conectar los recursos filantr\u00f3picos con las necesidades de la comunidad en beneficio de todos. Invertimos en el futuro a trav\u00e9s de becas, subvenciones y asociaciones de colaboraci\u00f3n. Para m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n, visite\u00a0www.vccf.org<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"