Introducing the Lyra Clinical Fellowship

March 11, 2022

Lyra is pleased to announce its inaugural fellowship program. This fellowship strives to reduce disparities in the mental health field by addressing key systemic barriers to licensure for underrepresented associate social workers.

Why did we develop this program?

In 2019, the California Board of Behavioral Sciences acknowledged that the need for mental health services in diverse communities far outweighed the amount of qualified providers from these communities. Associate social workers often go through additional hurdles to gain licensure after receiving their master's degree, which contributes to racial disparities in the field. Early-career social workers have reported that the high cost of licensure materials and fees, coupled with the low compensation, are not conducive to success. New social workers often have to pay out of pocket for supervision and the quality of their education is not guaranteed. It is also not uncommon for associate social workers to staff walk-in clinics on nights or weekends.

What is included in the fellowship?

Beginning August 2022, ten associate social workers will join Lyra for our two-year paid fellowship with comprehensive health benefits and access to no-cost clinical supervision that will enable participants to attain 3,000 hours of supervised work experience in a healthy training environment. 

• Clinical Work: A training philosophy grounded in culturally responsive and evidence-based approaches to care. This work will also give participants experience providing evidenced-based treatments via the Lyra video-therapy platform to enhance skills in providing online therapy.
• Clinical Supervision: Weekly individual and group supervision with licensed social workers.
• Learning & Development:Regular group didactics on topics related to clinical care and professional development, as well as opportunities to earn credits for CEs offered through Lyra and support with exams and licensure requirements.

Interested in learning more about the Lyra Clinical Fellowship? Please contact us at [email protected].