County Behavioral Wellness Accepting Annual Applications for John Kovacs Scholarship Awards
News Channel 3-12
Below is a press release from the County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness regarding the 2025 John Kovacs Scholarship Awards
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness is announcing the opening of the application period for its annual John Kovacs Scholarship award, designed for persons who identify as having mental health and/or substance use experience, also known as “peers.” This scholarship program was made available through a generous donation from the John Kovacs Revocable Trust which was gifted to Behavioral Wellness. To honor the memory of John Kovacs, the Department established a Memorial Scholarship that awards up to two $2,500 scholarships annually.
Applications are due by September 30th, 2025. The applications will be scored in October and the announcement of 2025 John Kovacs scholarship recipients will occur at the annual Peer celebration in the end of November or beginning of December. For Peers interested in applying, the application can be found online and completed in English here and in Spanish here.
2024 Kovacs awardee Arthur Marroquin shares, “The scholarship helped me catch up on debts, which opened the door to saving, finding stable housing, and balancing work and college.” “Being seen and supported made a difference not only in my life, but in my children’s, who proudly celebrated with me at graduation.”
“This award gave me more than financial help, it restored my faith in people,” shares 2024 awardee Vincent Saucedo. “It brought me security, shelter, and hope at a time when anger felt easier than gratitude. It renewed my hope and inspired me to pay it forward.”
Recipients, as people who embody tenacity, resiliency and overcoming of barriers are selected through a committee process. Applicants must self-identify as having lived experience in the process of recovery from mental illness, substance use disorder, or both; either as a consumer of these services or as the parent or family member of the consumer. In addition, applicants must show a demonstrated need and explain how these funds will help bridge an important gap, address an unmet necessity, or make a significant difference in helping to achieve a life changing goal.
To learn more about County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness, please visit https://www.countyofsb.org/274/Behavioral-Wellness. For assistance accessing Behavioral Wellness services, call the 24/7 toll free Crisis Response and Services Access Line at (888) 868-1649.
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