Provider Recruitment Program

In addition to the minimum eligibility requirements for the Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program (see Eligibility Guidelines), applicants must meet the following program-specific requirements:

• The applicant entity must be contracted with the Alliance/Medi-Cal and have a track record of contractual compliance and stability.
• No more than three (3) Workforce Recruitment grants for any eligible provider type (CHW, Doula, MA and Provider) may be open for recruitment at any one time (i.e., two previously awarded grants may be open for recruitment when a new application is submitted).

• Allied, Behavioral Health, Primary Care and Specialty Care Providers.
• Physicians, non-physician medical practitioners and other appropriately licensed providers.
• Certified substance use disorder service providers who provide Medi-Cal compensable services.

The recruited provider must be licensed in the appropriate medical specialty and meet all credentialing requirements. They must be a new addition to (not a transfer within) the Alliance/Medi-Cal network, with a preference for providers who are new to the provider communities of Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

Funding awards will be focused on specific provider types in targeted geographies based on need identified by the Alliance.

Applications that demonstrate a commitment to implement the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards and to hire providers who provide culturally and linguistically competent care are strongly preferred.

Additional funding will be provided to applicant entities who recruit and hire providers who meet certain criteria for oral language proficiency. See Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive.

An organization that recruits and hires a provider prior to the grant award may apply for grant funding to cover recruitment-related expenses for a recently hired provider if they were hired in the Retro Hiring Period (defined as one day after the previous application due date through the current application due date). 

There is no guarantee that an application will be approved or that the entity will be reimbursed for recruitment-related costs during the Retro Hiring Period. Recruitment date is determined by the date of hire (i.e., date on signed employment contract or offer letter).

Amount

The Provider Recruitment Program awards grants to subsidize 50% of recruitment-related expenses for new providers in the Alliance service area. The maximum award is $250,000. Example: Estimated total recruitment costs = $500,000; Amount of grant request $250,000.

Final grant awards will depend on verification of actual expenses but will not exceed the grant award.

Payment requests and installments

The grant payment will be made in two installments:

• Half of the grant payment will be made at the time the grantee successfully hires an eligible provider and submits recruitment-related expenses.
• The remaining half will be made when the provider is fully credentialed by the Alliance or the appropriate organization (e.g., Carelon Behavioral Health or county mental health/behavioral health departments for mental health providers).

Payment requests require documentation verifying:

• Date of hire.
• Recruitment expenses.
• Credentialing.

Conditions for funding withdrawal

Applicant entities who are approved for a Provider Recruitment grant must recruit the provider within twelve months of signing the Grant Agreement. Providers must apply for credentialing within one month of hiring.

If the grantee is unable to hire the provider within twelve months of the signing of the Grant Agreement, the grant will be withdrawn. If the newly recruited provider leaves the practice before one full year of employment under the term of the grant, which begins when the first grant payment is made after recruitment expenses are submitted, the grantee will have to pay a pro-rated amount back to the Alliance, including pro-rated amount of Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive described below, if applicable.

In an effort to support the Alliance’s work to achieve health equity and reduce health disparities related to language and cultural barriers for our members, our Workforce Recruitment Programs offer a Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive for grantee organizations that hire bilingual providers. Learn more on our Linguistic Competence Provider Incentive page.

Visit our How to Apply page for deadlines, instructions and the online application form.

Applications require submission of financial statements. Acceptable financial statement submissions include audited financial statements or tax return for the last fiscal year. If neither document is available, an organizational profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the last complete year (12 month period) is acceptable.