Cal State Dominguez Hills has launched an initiative to train the next generation of behavioral healthcare workers. The Toros Heal Los Angeles program (THLA) supports students across five degree pathways—including social work, marriage and family therapy, clinical psychology, school and college counseling, and undergraduate human services.
The $29 million initiative aims not only to encourage students to pursue careers in the field, but address workforce gaps across LA County. According to John Farrell, THLA director, the program will primarily serve the areas where many Toros already reside: South LA and the South Bay.
“We want them to be from the community, and for the community once they get out,” Farrell said.
Funding for the program came from the Ballmer Group, a Washington state-based philanthropic investment organization led by the former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The award marks the largest donation to the university.
Graduate students can receive up to $18,000 annually, while eligible undergraduates can receive a one-time $6,000 award. Farrell said approximately 98% of scholarship recipients received the maximum award, reflecting the financial needs of students pursuing careers in behavioral health.
“This gift is a response to acute child and youth behavioral health shortages in South LA and adjacent areas—communities our students and graduates call home,” said CSUDH Interim President Mary Ann Villarreal in an Apr. 6 statement to the Campus News Center. “With this investment, CSUDH can expand access to opportunity for our students while preparing professionals committed to serving populations with the greatest need.”
In 2019, the independent California Future Health Workforce Commission warned of a “severe and growing” shortage across the behavioral health field. Despite efforts by state leaders and lawmakers to reform the system, the shortage has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.
For graduate student Chad Ngo, pursuing a career in mental health meant leaving behind years of work in public relations and communications. Ngo found the work unfulfilling, so he returned to school in his early 30s to become a clinical social worker and psychotherapist.
Ngo told The Bulletin the THLA scholarship helped ease the financial pressure of changing careers while completing his degree.
“Receiving the scholarship has been such a confirmation for me about my decision to do a career pivot,” said Ngo, who balances a full-time job, evening classes, and a clinical internship. “It has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.”
CSUDH is seeking partnerships with youth-serving agencies to host social work and marriage and family therapy interns. The placements would give students hands-on experience while helping agencies serve children, young people and families.
Ngo plans to graduate in May and hopes to work in the South Bay. Through his current internship, he has developed an interest in providing therapy to men from communities of color. He said that his experience at CSUDH has also shaped his understanding of how mental health professionals can work alongside communities rather than impose solutions.
“Instead of me coming in and solving the problems, it’s actually me partnering with people and organizations in the community,” Ngo said.
Farrell said the university expects to have a clearer picture of the program’s impact when recipients have completed their education and entered the workforce.