The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska has launched its Southeast Site in Lincoln. The opening of the site means BHECN now has locations in all six of the state’s behavioral health regions.
The newest site will allow BHECN to address the unique behavioral health workforce needs of the southeastern part of the state, said BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD.
“Southeast Nebraska has a unique blend of urban and rural communities, and our newest site will help us ensure we are being responsive to the workforce challenges and opportunities that exist here,” Dr. Doyle said.
Along with having a mix of urban and rural populations, the southeast region also is home to several higher education institutions that help educate behavioral health workers, as well as multiple correctional facilities where the need for behavioral health professionals is high.
BHECN Southeast will work with partners from across these entities – as well as other behavioral health workers – to help identify key workforce challenges and ways BHECN can address them, said site co-directors Wendy Baumeister, PsyD, and Kimberly Clawson, MD.
“BHECN has long been a leader in helping grow our state’s behavioral health workforce, and we are excited to work to help ensure BHECN’s efforts are more tailored to meet the needs of our region,” Dr. Baumeister said.
“Southeastern Nebraska is unique in many ways, and its behavioral health workforce needs reflect that fact,” Dr. Clawson said. “By working with stakeholders from a broad array of fields and communities, we will help ensure our workforce meets those needs and improves behavioral health for those who live here.”
While BHECN Southeast is currently operational, a formal opening event will be held on Tuesday, April 15, from 5-7 p.m. at Region 5 Systems at 3600 Union Drive in Lincoln. (RSVP for the event here.)
As BHECN’s sixth site, BHECN Southeast joins:
- BHECN Central, launched at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2015.
- BHECN Panhandle, started at Chadron State College in 2019.
- BHECN Northeast, launched at Wayne State College in 2023.
- BHECN East, started at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2024.
- BHECN Southwest, started in North Platte in 2024.