The Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness 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.”

The scholarship program was made available through a 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, which are due by Sept. 30, will be scored in October and the announcement of scholarship recipients will come at the annual Peer recognition event in January.

For Peers interested in applying, the application can be found online and completed in English here and in Spanish here.

“I was so glad to be a part of an amazing opportunity,” said Kassy Nguyen, 2025 Kovacs awardee. “The team culture BWell cultivated within the department is so fun and admirable.

“I was able to use the scholarship money to help my mom with rent and subsidize some of my housing costs at UCSB.

“Again, I am so incredibly honored and grateful for the scholarship; I’m excited to see which future individuals will have the same privilege I did.”   

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.

Applicants also 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 the Department of Behavioral Wellness, 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, 888-868-1649.