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.
- - Project PEACE
    Project PEACE is a series of web-based modules designed to equip primary care providers with skills and knowledge to address behavioral health concerns.
  - 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 20 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.
- Behavioral Health Workforce Center Alliance
  The Behavioral Health Workforce Center Alliance (BHWCA) is a network of behavioral health workforce development centers from across the United States.
- 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 Southwest
  BHECN Southwest is a remote site based in North Platte that facilitates training and workforce development in Southwest Nebraska.
The Nebraska Model

Application cycle for BHECN Scholars opens soon!

pumpkinpatch9.24cropped.jpg The next application cycle for the BHECN Scholars Program opens April 14 and closes May 16.

BHECN Scholars is a pathway program designed to support undergraduate seniors who plan to pursue master’s degrees in Nebraska-based behavioral health programs after graduation. Scholars receive a stipend, mentorship, professional development and opportunities for social and academic engagement within a cohort model.

The program’s goal is to recruit students from different regions of Nebraska into the behavioral health workforce and support their success as licensed professionals practicing in the state.

Scholars selected for the program will receive a one-time $5,000 payment in Fall 2025. This funding, distributed directly to the Scholar, can be used to support tuition and other educational expenses.

Additionally, Scholars who complete all program requirements and gain admission to an eligible graduate program in 2026 may renew their scholarship for a second year, receiving an additional $5,000.

Successful applicants will be notified of their awards in June.

Learn more about the BHECN Scholars Program and how to apply here.