Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce

FCBHW NextGen Mentoring Program

Beginning fall 2025, the FCBHW NextGen Mentoring program offers a one-year mentorship experience for rising Florida undergraduate seniors who plan to pursue a clinical graduate degree in Florida.

Selected students will:

• Be matched with a licensed behavioral health professional mentor
• Participate in monthly one-on-one mentorship meetings
• Attend monthly virtual seminars on academic success, graduate school readiness and career development

Each mentee will receive a $5,000 stipend, distributed over two semesters, for meaningful participation.

Mentors will receive either a $1,000 stipend or 25 volunteer hours, which may support applications to the Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education (FRAME) program.

Note: Stipends are considered taxable income. FCBHW will cover the cost of taxes for both mentees and mentors; however, recipients are responsible for reporting the stipend on their federal income tax returns.

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be a rising senior or equivalent standing, with an expected graduation date of May 2026
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Be majoring in a behavioral health-related field (such as psychology, social work, criminal justice, behavioral healthcare, aging sciences, sociology, family sciences), or have completed at least nine credit hours of relevant coursework
• Intend to pursue a clinical behavioral health graduate degree in Florida starting in fall 2026 in one of the following areas:
  • Mental health counseling
  • Marriage and family therapy
  • Clinical social work
  • Applied behavioral analysis
  • Clinical or counseling psychology
  • Psychiatric-mental health nursing
  • Psychiatric physician assistant
  • Psychiatric medicine

Note: For the 2025–26 academic year, this opportunity is open only to undergraduate students at the University of South Florida as part of our pilot launch.

To apply, fill out the online application here by May 31.

You will need to upload:

• A letter from your academic advisor confirming:
  • Your academic standing
  • Your major or degree program
  • Your cumulative GPA
  • Your expected graduation term

• A statement of interest describing:
  • Why you are pursuing a clinical behavioral health profession
  • Your long-term career interests and goals
  • How this mentorship opportunity will support your development

Apply Now