CAMFT Pre-licensee Corner

06/10/2026

🎉 Meet our 2026 Ronald D. Lunceford Scholarship recipient: Melissa Lim Singh!

As a USC MFT student of mixed Chinese and Sikh heritage, Melissa brings cultural humility, Mandarin proficiency, and a deep commitment to serving AAPI and other underserved communities.

Her work with incarcerated writers and unhoused youth reflects the empathy, cultural humility, and advocacy that embody Dr. Lunceford’s legacy as CAMFT’s first African‑American President and a champion for racial equity in therapy.

We’re so honored to support her journey!

If you’re working toward licensure, you know how demanding this journey can be: tuition, supervision, training, unpaid hours. Explore our CAMFT scholarships and see what support might be available to you.

➡️ https://loom.ly/orHRm5A

06/08/2026

Your Spring Pre‑Licensed Newsletter is here! 🌱

Inside: financial support resources, real‑world clinical insights, new advertising requirements, and guidance for navigating the path to licensure with confidence.

Start reading: https://www.camft.org/Membership/About-Us/Pre-licensee-E-news/Spring2026-Pre-Licensed-Enews

05/22/2026

Working toward licensure while managing student debt and career costs can feel overwhelming, and funding opportunities for pre-licensees can open and close quickly. ⏳

That’s why we maintain a members-only page featuring current loan repayment programs, workforce initiatives, grant opportunities, and other funding resources relevant to pre-licensees, MFTs, and mental health organizations.

Several major application deadlines are approaching in the coming weeks, including programs supporting behavioral health professionals serving high-need communities.

We regularly update the page so members can quickly find opportunities, deadlines, and links all in one place. Bookmark it and check back often! 🔖

https://loom.ly/URvRy1Q

Not a member yet? 👀 CAMFT™ Pre-Licensed Membership gives you access to valuable tools and resources designed to support you throughout your career, from funding opportunities and professional updates to legal resources, CE courses, and more. Explore the benefits and join us today! ✨

05/13/2026

California is looking to transition to the AMFTRB National Exam as part of the MFT licensure pathway. Do you want real-time updates as the evaluates and makes decisions? Join our National Exam e-mail list: https://loom.ly/na2ib9w

California is in the process of transitioning to the AMFTRB National Exam as part of the MFT licensure pathway. The Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) continues to work through the regulatory process, and additional information regarding...

05/12/2026

Meet our 2026 Educational Foundation Scholarship recipient: Areej Bazzari! 🎉 She's a first-generation American, mother of two, and graduate student at Northwestern University.

Three years ago, Areej made the bold decision to leave her executive career in tech to pursue a path in therapy after experiencing postpartum anxiety following the birth of her first child.

Areej is passionate about supporting underserved communities, including immigrant families, women of color, and those navigating motherhood and life transitions. Her long-term goal is to open a culturally responsive therapy practice specializing in maternal mental health and family systems support.

We’re proud to support future therapists like Areej!

Learn more about our scholarship winners here ➡️ https://loom.ly/cP0DQ7g

✨ Think you have what it takes to be our next scholarship recipient? Mark your calendar: Applications for 2027 scholarships will open May 27, 2026!

05/04/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! 💚

Here's some progress worth paying attention to: Since the launch of 988, su***de rates among young people in the U.S. have dropped 11% below projections. In states with higher call volumes, the impact is even greater.

Researchers estimate that nearly 4,400 young lives may have been saved.

It’s a powerful reminder that access to timely, compassionate support matters, and that systems designed to meet people in moments of crisis can truly make a difference.

If a client or someone you know needs support, have them call or text 988. No one has to navigate this alone. 🌿

You can read a New York Times article about the national hotline success here: https://loom.ly/eK4NYtk

05/01/2026

We at CAMFT are deeply disappointed by the U.S. Department of Education’s final rule, which limits federal student loans for new MFT graduate students beginning July 1, 2026, and places additional barriers on those pursuing careers in mental health. California’s communities urgently need more behavioral health professionals, and this rule will directly deepen that need.

Even though we are unhappy with the final rule, we want to thank the hundreds of CAMFT members who took the time to submit public comments and share their views on the proposed rule. Your input helped to elevate the real-world impact this rule will have on MFTs and their patients.

CAMFT has been and continues to actively work with the Mental Health Workforce Student Loan Affordability Coalition to assess the rule’s impact and determine next steps. We remain committed to advocating for policies that ensure a strong, accessible, and well-trained mental health workforce of MFTs.

04/29/2026

Up to $240,000 in student loan repayment for behavioral health professionals? Yes, really!

The Medi-Cal Behavioral Health Student Loan Repayment Program (MBH-SLRP) is back for Cycle 2 -- and applications open Friday.

If you support, hire, or work alongside behavioral health professionals, this is a big opportunity to bring to your network 👇

📅 Join the May 7 webinar to learn more. You’ll get a clear breakdown of:
• How eligible professionals can apply for up to $240K in loan repayment
• What the service commitment looks like
• Which work settings qualify (and if your organization is one of them)
• Which behavioral health professions are eligible

Whether you’re an employer, program manager, or clinician, this is a powerful way to support recruitment, retention, and financial relief in the field.

Grab the QR code to learn more and register for the webinar.

Share with your network and help spread the word!

California Department of Health Care Access and Information

04/20/2026

If you’re a pre-licensed MFT, this one matters.

Many of you have been asking: Can supervision weeks completed during your MFT trainee experience can count toward the 104 supervision weeks requirement for licensure?

The answer is yes! But, there’s a catch...

1. Trainees can only count up to 1,300 total hours from grad school
2. And only 750 of those hours can be counseling + supervision
3. Any supervision weeks after trainees hit that cap WON'T count toward their required 104 weeks of supervised experience.

The bottom line? Your trainee supervision can help you get there, but only within the hour limits.

04/15/2026

Have you checked out our Financial Assistance Programs for MFTs page lately?

We're tracking THREE California loan repayment programs set to open next month.

And for organizations looking for funding, there's a Medi-Cal Retention Program coming soon, and a federal application to become an NHSC-approved site. (As an NHSC-approved site, eligible clinicians can apply for NHSC loan repayment and other financial assistance programs.)

CAMFT™ members, see them all right here: https://www.camft.org/fap