April 16, 2026
Our bold goal: Help 1,000 therapists get licensed by 2028
The Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Career Accelerator is growing to help more aspiring clinicians get their license and start caring for patients.
Candidates from the career accelerator share how the program is helping them on their journey to licensure.
After years of education, mental health graduates face one final climb before getting licensed. They must complete several thousand hours of work, often with low pay.
What comes next can determine whether they enter the field or step away from it.
This is where the Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Career Accelerator comes in.
In 2023, we launched the program to help people with master’s degrees in mental health overcome common barriers to licensure. The career accelerator helps them stay on track, so they can earn their license and begin caring for patients.
Early results were strong. More than 160 graduates have participated so far, serving tens of thousands of patients in their communities while working toward licensure.
Now, the program is entering its next phase.
With a new name and updated design, the program is built to grow faster and support more future clinicians. We aim to enroll 1,000 graduates by 2028.
Why this program is needed
Across the country, demand for mental health care continues to rise.
But in many communities, there aren’t enough mental health professionals to keep up.
At the same time, many people with master’s degrees in mental health struggle to get licensed.
The path can be long, expensive, and confusing. Too often, qualified professionals leave the field before their careers begin.
How the program works
The career accelerator supports graduates as they work toward licensure.
Participants receive:
Financial support tied to key milestones
Training and professional development
Peer connection, testing support, and mentorship
These are the most common barriers to becoming a practicing mental health provider.
“So many talented graduates want to serve their communities, but the last stretch to licensure can be the hardest part,” said Bechara Choucair, MD, executive vice president and chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente. “Our career accelerator provides critical support to candidates.”
We developed the program in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Built to grow, shaped by experience
We originally offered the career accelerator in Colorado and Georgia. It’s now available in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington.
As participation grew, we paused to ask one key question: What support matters most on the path to licensure?
Feedback from current and former participants, along with leaders across the mental health field, helped shape the updated program.
The result is a clearer, more focused model — one that’s easier to use in more places while staying centered on graduate needs.
“We hear the same story across the country,” National Council for Mental Wellbeing president and chief executive officer Chuck Ingoglia said. “People want to do this work, but the licensure process can be overwhelming. This partnership with Kaiser Permanente helps make the path into the mental health workforce clearer, so more people can enter the field and communities can benefit by getting the resources they need.”
Looking ahead
As the program grows, its focus will remain the same: support future clinicians, strengthen the workforce, and help more people get the mental health care they need.
Learn more about the career accelerator program and how to apply.
