Southwestern Oregon Community College is helping to meet the growing need for mental health care providers in our community through a new statewide pilot program. Under this program, students completing the Human Services Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree can register as Qualified Mental Health Associates (QMHA-Rs) immediately upon graduation. Students pursuing transfer degrees (like the AAOT) in behavioral health-related fields may be able to dual-enroll in the Human Services AAS to become eligible. IMPORTANT: Students who want to take advantage of this opportunity must begin and complete the Human Services AAS (including the practicum) before spring 2029. If you’re interested, now is the time to connect with us!
This initiative, launched by the Oregon Health Authority in collaboration with the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), educational institutions, and behavioral health organizations, provides a streamlined pathway to QMHA certification. By combining education requirements with supervised practicum hours completed through local partnering providers, the program expands the workforce and enables graduates to meet critical community needs.
“Our local partners have expressed a growing need for trained mental health associates,” said Jenn Lewis, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Human Services Program Coordinator at Southwestern. “This pilot program empowers our students to meet that demand and make an immediate, meaningful impact in our community.”
Southwestern’s Human Services AAS degree equips students with foundational skills and real-world experience for a career in mental health support. The program includes coursework in counseling, ethics, crisis intervention, and multicultural issues, along with hands-on training through local practicum opportunities.
For students, this provides even more opportunity to work in the high-demand field of mental health care more quickly. The QMHA Pilot Program runs from winter 2025 through spring 2029. Southwestern is proud to play a role in strengthening the behavioral health workforce and supporting healthier, more resilient communities.
Students interested in pursuing Human Services at Southwestern and becoming eligible to register as QMHA-Rs upon graduating should connect with our admissions team via Email or text “Human Services” or call 541-240-8227.
For more information about the Human Services pathway at Southwestern, visit www.socc.edu/humanservices.
