Naples Children Foundation Invests $2 Million in Behavioral Health Workforce

Naples Children Foundation Invests $2 Million to Strengthen Southwest Florida’s Behavioral Health Workforce

Innovative Registered Intern Workforce Pilot will expand clinical training opportunities, increase access to children’s behavioral health services and build a sustainable pipeline of licensed professionals.

The Naples Children Foundation (NCF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, is investing $2 million over the next two years to address Southwest Florida’s shortage of licensed behavioral health professionals serving children and families in the community.

Through a first-of-its-kind Registered Intern Workforce Pilot, developed in partnership with six nonprofit organizations and Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), NCF is expanding clinical training opportunities, increasing access to children’s behavioral health services and building a sustainable pipeline of licensed professionals.

“One of the greatest barriers to improving children’s mental health isn’t a lack of talented individuals entering the profession—it’s the lack of opportunities for them to complete the supervised clinical experience required to become licensed,” said Sarah Zaiser-Kelly, NCF Senior Vice President, Grants and Community Impact. “This investment addresses that challenge head-on by supporting organizations that train emerging clinicians while building a stronger, more sustainable behavioral health workforce for our community.”

Behavioral health providers throughout Florida face ongoing workforce shortages, while many graduate students struggle to find paid registered internships and qualified supervision required for licensure. At the same time, nonprofit providers often lack the resources to support these positions, creating a bottleneck that limits access to care for children and families.

The Registered Intern Workforce Pilot addresses these challenges by funding:
• 17 Registered Intern positions
• Qualified Supervisors to mentor and oversee interns
• Professional development, including licensure examination preparation and related expenses
• Expanded organizational capacity to train future behavioral health professionals

A cornerstone of the initiative is NCF’s partnership with FGCU, creating stronger pathways for graduate students pursuing careers in behavioral health. By connecting students with registered internship opportunities at participating organizations throughout Collier County, the pilot provides the supervised clinical experience required for licensure while encouraging graduates to build their careers in Southwest Florida rather than leaving the region after completing their education.

“This partnership creates a critical bridge between education and professional practice, giving emerging professionals access to the paid, supervised experience they need to pursue licensure while helping meet the growing behavioral health needs of children and families across Southwest Florida,” said Dr. Tom Felke, Professor and BSW Program Director in FGCU’s Department of Social Work.

The investment is expected to:
• Expand the local behavioral health workforce pipeline
• Increase access to behavioral health services for children
• Reduce barriers to professional licensure
• Improve retention of behavioral health professionals within Southwest Florida
• Build long-term organizational capacity to train future clinicians

The Registered Intern Workforce Pilot goes beyond addressing today’s workforce shortage by creating a sustainable pipeline of licensed professionals supported by experienced mentors and the organizations that train them ensuring more children and families have timely access to the behavioral health services they need.

About Naples Children Foundation
The Naples Children Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, creates transformational change and improves educational, emotional and health outcomes for vulnerable children in Collier County. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCF has impacted nearly 90 of the most effective nonprofits in the local community, providing 420,000 children with the services and resources they need to succeed. Through bold investments, collaborative partnerships, and data-driven solutions, NCF supports programs that ensure every child can thrive. NCF’s unique approach, which bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community – one issue at a time.

For additional information on the Naples Children Foundation, please contact Madison Blasco at madison@napleschildrenfoundation.org or 239-325-2975