The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), pronounced “beacon,” has selected five programs for 2018-2019 to receive BHECN’s Ambassador Career Engagement Awards. Launched in June 2017, the awards give funding to the local community groups who offer introductory programming to educate Nebraska students, primarily in rural or underserved communities, about behavioral health professions.
Listed below are the 2018 Ambassador Career Engagement Award recipients.
Increasing Awareness of Behavioral Health Professions Conference with partners from Western Nebraska Community College and Region 1 Behavioral Health Authority. This project will feature a one-day conference in Scottsbluff to expose interested high school and community college students to behavioral health careers and increase awareness of mental health stigma.
The Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) Behavioral Health Science Experience Conference includes partners from Nebraska HOSA, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Nebraska Department of Education, and HOSA chapters across Nebraska. The Kearney conference will expose students to careers in behavioral health and provide networking opportunities.
Behavioral Health Conference coordinated by CenterPointe. The Lincoln conference targets college students from Doane University, Nebraska Wesleyan, Southeast Community College, Union College, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It will feature panels and speakers from various disciplines in the behavioral health field. Students will be able to network with career consultants, counselors and employers about their interests and career goals, discuss current job opportunities and internships.
Metro Area Teen Health Summit: Securing a Future for Everyone Youth Summit includes partners from Omaha North High STEM Magnet School, North Omaha Community Care Council, and the Center for Reducing Health Disparities in the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This one-day Omaha summit will promote health, safety, and well-being to teens with special focus on underrepresented and underserved junior high and high school students. Activities will introduce students to various behavioral health topics and behavioral health careers available in the workforce.
Corn This Way: LGBTQ Youth Leadership Summit in Omaha is coordinated by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network in Omaha. Corn This Way will show youth and young adults career fields where they can enact change and better the lives of LGBTQ individuals in Nebraska. The all-day summit will take place in Omaha.
For more information about BHECN or the BHECN Ambassador Career Engagement Awards, contact Jennifer Bull at jennifer.bull@unmc.edu, 402-552-7693, or for more details on the list of winners, visit https://unmc.edu/bhecn/.
About the BHECN Ambassador Program
Started in 2012, the BHECN Ambassador Program has hosted conferences and presentations to introduce high school and college students to careers in behavioral health professions.
About BHECN
The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), pronounced “beacon,” was established in 2009 by Legislative Bill 603 to improve access to mental health and substance abuse services, commonly referred to as behavioral health services, for all Nebraskans through the development of a skilled workforce. It is a unique partnership among the state legislature, academic institutions, and community partners to create a statewide workforce solution for the shortage of licensed behavioral health professionals. For more information about BHECN, visit www.unmc.edu/bhecn.