Lookin’ at U: Jennifer Bull

Each Thursday, we randomly feature a medical center employee. This week, we learn more about:

• Name: Jennifer Bull
• Hometown: Omaha has been my home for 26 years. Before that, I lived in Napa, Calif.; Flagstaff, Ariz.; Hastings, Neb.; Chadron, Neb.; and Columbia, Mo. If I had to narrow it down to one “hometown” I’d pick Chadron, I graduated from Chadron High School and spent most of my formative years there.
• No. of years at UNMC: Less than one year. I started at UNMC in March 2018 on contract with the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), and was hired full-time in June 2018.

Tell us what you do here at UNMC:

I am the communications coordinator for the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN). I work with an amazing team of behavioral health professionals, here at UNMC and across the state, all with the same goal of building the behavioral health workforce in the state of Nebraska. I facilitate the flow of messages and stories BHECN shares with the community, legislature and others through the BHECN website and BHECN social media channels — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo, and just for fun Pinterest. We also partner with Region V Systems on a statewide recruiting website dedicated to building the behavioral health workforce in the state of Nebraska. It is a free resource connecting employers and employees.

“Innovation” is one of UNMC’s brand values. Tell us about a time you’ve seen innovation at UNMC.

BHECN’s dedication to improving access to behavioral health care across the state of Nebraska is extremely important currently and for future generations. BHECN’s innovative collaborations and programming bolster awareness of the importance of the mental well-being of everyone living in Nebraska. The innovative ways BHECN collaborates with members of the state legislature, academic institutions, and community partners is a wonderful example of working together to influence change.

BHECN’s goal is to create a statewide workforce solution to increase the number of licensed behavioral health professionals. To reach this goal we have an evolving process centered around four major areas of focus: recruitment through the Ambassador Program, preparing and training the future workforce, training and retention of the current workforce, and providing workforce reports and evaluation. BHECN also supports psychiatric residency programs and recruits trainees for interprofessional clinical training sites and internships in rural and underserved areas of Nebraska. With one out of every five adults in America experiencing a mental health condition and 56 percent lacking access to the care they need, it is important to use our collective resources to help Nebraskans by building awareness and facilitating education and training.

What is your favorite winter activity?
On a lighter note, I love snow. I love sitting on a couch by the window, sipping hot chocolate while watching the big fluffy flakes drift by the window. I enjoy building snow forts and sledding.

List three things people may not know about you.

• I sang semi-professionally with Opera Omaha for approximately 13 years.
• I am an artist and work in glass, making glass beads and other small glass creations.
• I participate in a medieval reenactment group called the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). It has approximately 30,000 members worldwide. We study medieval history — events, places, how people lived and daily medieval life. Then on occasion, we attempt to recreate various aspects of it. This creative outlet is very good for my mental health.
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