Oregon Office of Rural Health

Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program

Man running down a rural road

The Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program (OBHLRP), a part of the Health Care Provider Incentive Program, was established to support rural and underserved communities in the recruitment and retention of high quality behavioral health providers. These providers work in inpatient, outpatient, and community care settings serving patients regardless of their source of coverage (Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, etc.). The OBHLRP accepts applications from QMHAs, QMHPs, pre-licensed and licensed behavioral health care providers. In exchange for service at a qualifying practice site, participants receive tax free funds to repay qualifying educational loan debt.

Eligible Licensed Provider Types:

  • Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
  • General, child and adolescent or geriatric Psychiatrists
  • Clinical Psychologists
  • Licensed Clinical Social Workers
  • Licensed Professional Counselor 
  • Licensed Marriage or Family Therapists

Eligible licensed providers (see above) who work in a clinic-based outpatient setting are encouraged to apply to the Oregon Health Care Provider Loan Repayment program.

Eligible Pre-Licensed Provider Types:

  • Clinical Social Workers
  • Counseling or Clinical Psychologists
  • Professional Counselors
  • Marriage and Family Counselors

Eligible Associate, Bachelor, and/or Master’s Level Provider Types:

  • Qualified Mental Health Associate
  • Qualified Mental Health Professional

QMHAs and QMHPs must meet the definition and standards established by OAR 409-036-0000 (27) (28)

To qualify, a site must:

  • Be located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), or have a Facility HSPA, and serve Medicaid and/or Medicare patients OR;
  • Serve Medicaid and/or Medicare patients in no less than the same proportion of such patients in the county OR;
  • Provides essential health care services to an underserved population, as determined by OHA; AND
  • Have a Site Application on file with the Oregon Office of Rural Health and have received confirmation of site qualification.

In exchange for service at a qualified practice site, participants receive funds to repay qualifying loan debt. Awards are calculated based on the balance owed on qualifying loans upon application to Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program

Full-time service providers must commit to a 3-year minimum service obligation in exchange for a tax-free award of 70% of their qualifying educational loan debt balance, up to $50,000 per obligation year. Full-time providers with less than $29,000 in qualifying loan debt are eligible to receive up to 100% of qualifying loan debt, not to exceed the lesser of their total qualifying loan amount or $20,000, in exchange for a 3-year service obligation. 

Part-time service providers must commit to a 3-year minimum service obligation in exchange for a tax-free award of 35% of their qualifying educational loan debt balance, up to $25,000 per obligation year. Part time providers with less than $15,000 in qualifying loan debt are eligible to receive up to 100% of qualifying loan debt, not to exceed the lesser of their total qualifying loan amount or $10,000, in exchange for a 3 year service obligation. 

Please read our FAQs before filling out an application.

Application Deadline

Completed Oregon Behavioral Health Loan Repayment applications applications, and all required attachments, must be submitted no later than 12 p.m. (Pacific Time) on January 9, 2025. Applications received after 12 p.m. (Pacific Time) on January 9, 2025, or applications that are deemed to be incomplete on that date, will be rolled over to the next review cycle. 

Eligible providers are highly encouraged to apply as early in the cycle as possible to allow time for information requests from ORH. The next review cycle opens January 10, 2025, and closes at Noon (Pacific Time) on April 3, 2025. 

If a provider applies to a cycle and is not chosen for an award they may request their application to be rolled over to the next review cycle. Providers wishing to roll over their application to the next review cycle are required to email ORH Workforce Services with their request along with updated educational loan documentation dated within 30 days of the request, as well as any updates to FTE status, practice site location, duties, or employment contract language.

Contact

Workforce Services | 503-494-4450 | toll-free 866-674-4376

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