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

Mentoring Program

A man and woman sit at a desk in conversation with a laptop and papers before them

Our mentoring program is designed to support undergraduate and graduate students in Nebraska who are pursuing licensed behavioral health careers. Through this program, students will be paired with experienced, licensed mental health professionals who will provide guidance, career insights, and real-world perspectives. Participants will engage in monthly activities and mentoring opportunities from September to May, fostering meaningful connections and enhancing career readiness. The program aims to empower the next generation of mental health professionals by offering mentorship that prepares them for success in the field.

Mentors

BHECN is looking for licensed mental behavioral health practitioners to serve as mentors in Nebraska. Mentors will span across Nebraska cities, towns, private and public entities, and varied behavioral health professions at the licensure level (e.g. LHMP, LIMHP, psychiatrist, counselors).

Target Student Demographic

Mentees will be undergraduate and graduate level students pursuing behavioral health degrees with the goal of licensure in Nebraska. Students seeking to be paired with a mentor may come from a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs with a focus on behavioral health.

Applications

Applications will only be accepted through the official application webpage and must be submitted by August 31. Late submissions will not be considered.

Matches will begin in August 2025, with the final matches made by September 30, 2025. Mentoring can commence immediately after a match is made.

Match/Mentoring Activities

Mentors and mentees are expected to meet or interact once a month between September to May. This could be through Zoom, phone, or in-person. Activities can include meeting for coffee, lunch, or a mentoring phone call or Zoom. Activities should remain professional with a continued focus on the mentor and mentee dynamic. Opportunities for job and work shadowing may also be arranged when appropriate and possible. BHECN will also provide nominal stipends to all mentors to support their monthly gatherings with their mentee and the occasional associated costs (e.g. lunch, coffee, mileage). These stipends will be processed at the end of the Fall and Spring semester.

Roger Garcia

Roger Garcia, DMin, MPA, MTS

Associate Director of Recruitment & Retention, BHECN

Phone: 402-552-7693