Kaiser Permanente and UH Mānoa expand mental health workforce

HONOLULU - The Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Career Accelerator program is helping address Hawaii's shortage of licensed mental health professionals through a multi-year grant from Kaiser Permanente in Hawaii. The program, in partnership with the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, removes financial and structural barriers that often prevent many graduates from becoming licensed. Since its launch, the program has enrolled 93 participants and provides financial assistance, licensure preparation, and clinical supervision options to help candidates obtain their clinical license and enter the workforce sooner.

"The Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Career Accelerator was created to help address Hawaii's growing need for licensed mental health professionals by removing barriers that can prevent talented graduates from entering the workforce," said Aimee Chung, state advisor for the accelerator program and field education coordinator at UH Mānoaʻs Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health. "By providing financial support, licensure resources, and access to clinical supervision, we're helping build a stronger mental health workforce that can better serve communities that have unmet needs across the state."

Hawaii faces a significant shortage of licensed mental health professionals. According to "Social Work in Hawaii: A Workforce Profile," a 2022 report published by the University of Hawaii at Mānoa's Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, Hawaii Island and Kauai County have fewer than 95 licensed social workers per 100,000 residents, compared with 136 on Oahu. The report also projects that demand for mental health professionals will increase 21.6% statewide through 2028, further widening existing workforce gaps.

One of the biggest barriers is licensure. Graduates must complete 1,000 to 3,000 supervised clinical hours over a minimum of 2 years before they can practice independently, yet qualified supervisors can be difficult to find, especially in rural communities. Nationally, 57% of people who earn master's degrees in mental health never become licensed due to financial strain, complex requirements, and a lack of support.

The Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Career Accelerator helps remove these barriers by providing up to $10,000 per participant in stipends, financial assistance for exam preparation materials and fees, peer support, and connections to a network of locally vetted clinical supervisors across Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai. The program supports candidates who have master's degrees in social work, mental health counseling, and marriage and family therapy with the goal of helping them become fully licensed in 2 years.

The program will soon celebrate its first 2 graduates, Kristina Silva-Pedrero, MSW, LSW, and Ale Cisneros Zavala, MSW, LSW, marking an important milestone in the effort to strengthen Hawaiʻi's behavioral health workforce. The graduates are already serving clients and families in their communities, helping strengthen services on Maui and Hawaii Island.

"I am so grateful for this program and how it is eliminating barriers to licensure. I wasn't sure I had the capacity to pursue my LCSW," said Silva-Pedrero. "Within the program, I felt 100% supported, empowered, and capable of achieving more than just this professional endeavor. I had access to mentorship, studying materials for the LCSW exam, and professional growth opportunities that I would have otherwise had to tirelessly search for and fund with the small budget I had as a new MSW graduate."

"This program didn't just open doors - it reminded me that my story belongs in this field. That being a mother, an immigrant, and a first-generation student isn't a barrier - it's a strength. It's what makes me uniquely equipped to serve my community with heart and authenticity," Cisneros Zavala said.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi has funded the program through a multiyear grant, as part of a broader national Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Career Accelerator developed in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in 2023 to address the mental health workforce shortage.

"We know licensure is where a lot of good people get stuck, not because they lack the skills, but because the process itself is so hard to navigate," National Council for Mental Wellbeing president and chief executive officer Chuck Ingoglia said. "What's happening in Hawaiʻi shows what's possible when a health system steps up to close that gap. Two graduates are already serving clients, and dozens more are on the way. That's real progress for communities that have been waiting a long time for this kind of support."

"We are proud to support the Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Career Accelerator because expanding access to behavioral health care begins with investing in the next generation of providers and clinicians," said Ed Chan, market president, Kaiser Permanente in Hawaii. "Through our partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, we're helping strengthen Hawaii's mental health workforce and increasing opportunities for more residents, particularly on neighbor islands, to receive the care they need."