LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS

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LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS

Application Process Announced: New SUD Student-Loan-Forgiveness Program for Rural Opioid Response Workers

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications through June 18 for a new student-loan-forgiveness program for behavioral health clinicians working to fight the opioid epidemic in drug-treatment programs in rural underserved areas.

This new program, the Rural Community Loan Repayment Program, will award up to $100,000 in student loan repayment to primary care and behavioral health clinicians providing substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in rural communities nationwide. In exchange, participants commit to serve for three years at rural health care sites.

The program will make FY 2019 loan repayment awards in coordination with the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) initiative to provide evidence-based substance use treatment, assist in recovery, and to prevent overdose deaths across the nation.

To qualify you must be:

• A United States citizen (U.S. born or naturalized) or United States national;
• A provider (or be eligible to participate as a provider) in the Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, as appropriate;
• Fully trained and licensed to practice in the NHSC-eligible primary care medical, or mental/behavioral health discipline and state in which you are applying to serve; 
• A health professional in an eligible discipline with qualified student loan debt for education that led to your degree; and
• Working, or have accepted a position, at a rural NHSC-approved SUD treatment facility. Sites that have received RCORP funding will receive preference.

HRSA is holding an application webinar June 13 at 1 pm ET

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