Loan repayment awards will be disbursed directly to lenders in behalf of eligible mental health professionals and:

1. (1) Repayment assistance for each year of full-time service will be in an amount determined by applying the following applicable percentage to the maximum total amount of assistance allowed for the professional:

   1. (A) for the first year, 10 percent;
   2. (B) for the second year, 15 percent;
   3. (C) for the third year, 20 percent;
   4. (D) for the fourth year, 25 percent; and
   5. (E) for the fifth year, 30 percent.

2. (2) The total amount of repayment assistance received by a mental health professional under this subchapter may not exceed:

   1. (A) $160,000, for a psychiatrist;

   2. (B) $80,000, for:

      1. (i) a psychologist;
      2. (ii) a licensed clinical social worker, if the social worker has received a doctoral degree related to social work; or
      3. (iii) a licensed professional counselor, if the counselor has received a doctoral degree related to counseling;
   3. (C) $60,000, for an advanced practice registered nurse; and
   4. (D) $40,000, for a licensed clinical social worker or a licensed professional counselor who has not received a doctoral degree related to social work or counseling.
3. (3) If a mental health provider's total student loan indebtedness is less than the total amount of repayment assistance allowed for the provider's practice specialty, the annual loan repayment award amounts based on full-time service will be the following percentages of the student loan debt owed at the time of application for enrollment in the program: 10% for year one, 15% for year two, 20% for year three, 25% for year four, and 30% for year five.

4. (4) An eligible professional may receive prorated loan repayment assistance based on the percentage of full-time service provided for each service period, for a minimum of 20 hours per week if employed or contracted by an agency or facility in a mental health professional shortage area for the primary purpose of providing direct mental health services to:

   1. (A) Medicaid recipients;
   2. (B) CHIP enrollees;
   3. (C) persons in facilities operated by or under contract with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; and/or,
   4. (D) persons in facilities operated by or under contract with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
5. (5) Failure to meet the program requirements will result in non-payment for the applicable service period(s) and, except under circumstances determined by the Board to constitute good cause, removal from the program.

Source Note:The provisions of this §23.100 adopted to be effective November 12, 2015, 40 TexReg 7818; amended to be effective February 22, 2016, 41 TexReg 1232; transferred effective December 15, 2016, as published in the Texas Register November 25, 2016, 41 TexReg 9341.