Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska

- Programs and Training Overview
- - Lifelong Learning Fund
    BHECN's Lifelong Learning fund supports educational and career engagement opportunities to help grow our state's behavioral health workforce.
  - Graduate Trainee Stipend Program
    The Graduate Trainee Stipend Program financially supports master's-level students during select advanced practicum or internship experiences.
  - Mentoring Program
    BHECN's mentorship program provides guidance and support to undergraduate and graduate-level students seeking licensed behavioral health careers in Nebraska.
  - BHECN Scholars
    The BHECN Scholars program supports undergraduate seniors who plan to pursue master’s degrees in Nebraska-based behavioral health programs.
- - Core Topics
    This accredited continuing education activity is designed for Behavioral Health providers to include psychologists, nurses, therapists, and social workers.
  - Project PEACE
    The Project PEACE Webinar Series is a series of webinars recorded by psychiatry residents on rotation with BHECN.
  - Telehealth Training
    Following the COVID-19 pandemic, day-to-day use of telehealth allows people to connect safely and effectively to mental health services no matter where they are located.
- Partnerships Overview
- Nebraska Behavioral Health Education Partnership (NEBHEP)
  BHECN partners with the 19 academic institutions to track the number of graduate-level behavioral health education students graduating and staying in Nebraska.
- Nebraska Behavioral Health Training Partnership
  BHECN establishes partnerships to create and disseminate educational materials for the development of the behavioral health workforce.
- Advisory Groups
  BHECN’s advisory groups provide input that shapes our work and help us keep up with the latest challenges and issues facing Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce.
- Research, Data & Policy Overview
- Nebraska Behavioral Health Workforce Dashboard
  The dashboard helps policy makers, employers, and behavioral health care stakeholders understand the state of the behavioral health workforce.
- Legislative Reports
  BHECN's biennial legislative reports examine the characteristics of actively practicing behavioral health providers in Nebraska.
- Nebraska Behavioral Health Policy Forum
  This forum discussed how investments in BHECN are being used to recruit, train, and retain behavioral health and rural healthcare providers across Nebraska.
- ARPA
  Access information related BHECN’s allocation of $25.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to Nebraska behavioral health providers.
- BHECN's Published Research
  See a listing of BHECN's published research.
- BHECN Sites Overview
- BHECN Panhandle
  Our BHECN Panhandle site supports our mission of recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals in Western Nebraska.
- BHECN Central
  BHECN Central is a remote site for training and workforce development at the University of Nebraska Kearney that serves the central part of the state.
- BHECN Northeast
  BHECN Northeast is a remote site based at Wayne State College that facilitates training and workforce development in Northeast Nebraska.
- BHECN East
  BHECN East is located at the UNO Grace Abbott School of Social Work and focuses primarily on the behavioral health workforce needs of the Omaha area.
BHECN Model

Developing Nebraska's behavioral health workforce

BHECN was created by the Nebraska Legislature in 2009 and housed at the UNMC. BHECN was charged with leading state behavioral health workforce development efforts including the recruitment, training and retention of behavioral health workers.

BHECN’s work is more important than ever as the state faces a critical shortage of behavioral health workers at a time when -- thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic -- the need for behavioral health care is higher than it has ever been.

Dr. Marley Doyle, director of BHECN

Pathways toward a career in behavioral health

Read a brochure and watch videos that explore the various career paths you can take to become a behavioral health professional in the state of Nebraska.

A behavioral health student.

Nominations open for BHECN annual awards – due Nov. 22

Learn more about and nominate people for BHECN's 2024 Annual Awards.

Annual Awards banner

Group therapy session.

News

ARPA projects help behavioral health providers build resilience

Check out how some awardees are using ARPA funds to help behavioral health care get tools needed to cope with stress, burnout and fatigue.

Nurse practitioner works with patient.

News

Application cycle now open for new psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner stipend program!

Read more about this new program, including how to apply!

BHECN Scholars at a pumpkin patch.

News

Fifth annual BHECN Policy Forum focused on statewide behavioral health convening. Register today!

The leaders of a convening of behavioral health organizations from throughout the state will discuss their initiative during BHECN’s 5th Annual Policy Forum on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

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