Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska
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ARPA Awardees

110 projects receive BHECN-ARPA funding

In July 2022, the Nebraska Legislature passed a measure allocating American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) to administer $25.5 million to various organizations across Nebraska to address the shortage of behavioral health providers in the state.

The pandemic caused a dramatic increase in the need for behavioral health services, and with providers already in short supply, many people experienced long wait times or a complete in ability to access behavioral healthcare. This has become a crisis for many areas of the state, particularly in rural and frontier areas.

During a two-phase application cycle, BHECN received 344 applications requesting more than $74 million in funding. After a comprehensive review process, 110 projects were selected to receive funding with 55 of the awards going to urban organizations and 55 to rural organizations. The full list of BHECN-ARPA Awardees is below.

Behavioral Health Training and Education Opportunities

Funding to metropolitan organizations: $5,015,186 or 43%.
Funding to rural organizations: $6,735,151 or 57%.

  1. Doane University, Crete, rural, $500,000
  2. Lutheran Family Services, Omaha, urban, $500,000
  3. UNMC – Integrated care at Kearney, Omaha, urban, $492,191
  4. UNMC College of Nursing, Omaha, urban, $499,895
  5. Chadron State College, Chadron, rural, $490,500
  6. Great Plains Health, North Platte, rural, $33,860
  7. Silver Sun Mental Health dba Nebraska Mental Health Centers, Lincoln, urban, $500,000
  8. Heartland Family Services, Omaha, urban, $491,680
  9. Autism Care for Toddlers Clinics, MMI, Omaha, rural, $416,000
  10. Northeast Community College, Norfolk, rural, $343,299.05 
  11. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, urban, $500,000
  12. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, urban, $500,000
  13. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, urban, $500,000
  14. Restore Rebuild Reconnect Counseling Center, Omaha, urban, $374,934
  15. Center for Psychological Services dba Live Well Counseling Center, Kearney, rural, $81,391.92 
  16. Options in Psychology LLC, Scottsbluff, rural, $398,401
  17. Child and Family Therapy Institute of Nebraska LLC, North Platte, rural, $124,088
  18. Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, urban, $500,000
  19. Morningstar Counseling and Consultation, Lincoln, urban, $496,681
  20. Youth Emergency Services Inc., Omaha, urban, $190,000
  21. Western Nebraska Behavioral Health Clinic, Rushville, rural, $438,045
  22. Western Nebraska Behavioral Health, Rushville, rural, $81,693
  23. CEDARS Youth Services Inc., Lincoln, urban, $254,272
  24. HopeSpoke, Lincoln, urban, $499,551
  25. Creighton University, Omaha, urban, $499,964
  26. Houses of Hope of Nebraska Inc., Lincoln, urban, $45,300
  27. Options in Psychology LLC, Scottsbluff, rural, $44,800
  28. Options in Psychology, LLC, Scottsbluff, rural, $62,010
  29. Heartland Counseling Services Inc., South Sioux City, rural, $496,074.78 
  30. Northeast Community College, Norfolk, rural, $499,836.40 
  31. Women's Empowering Life Line, Norfolk, rural, $178,656
  32. Women's Empowering Life Line, Norfolk, rural, $317,215
  33. Completely Kids, Omaha, urban, $71,000
  34. Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, rural, $58,000
  35. Mid-Plains Center for Behavioral Healthcare Services, Inc., Grand Island, rural, $55,000
  36. CenterPointe, Inc., Lincoln, urban, $72,000
  37. AM Counseling and Consulting, Bellevue, urban, $72,000
  38. Siena Francis House, Omaha, urban, $72,000

Telebehavioral Health in Rural Areas 

Funding to metropolitan organizations: $3,854,310 or 55%.
Funding to rural organizations: $3,120,288 or 45%. 
*All projects have rural components.

  1. Bryan Telemedicine, Omaha, urban, $1,000,000 
  2. EVALS BY ECK LLC, Scottsbluff, rural, $59,224.78 
  3. Heartland Counseling Services Inc., South Sioux City, rural, $731,339
  4. Wholeness Healing Center PC, Grand Island, rural, $121,942.61 
  5. Howard County Medical Center, St. Paul, rural, $200,000
  6. Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska Inc., Lincoln, urban, $900,478
  7. Midwest Encouragement & Counseling Center LLC, Kearney, rural, $63,100
  8. Center for Psychological Services PC dba Live Well Counseling Center, Kearney, rural, $73,773.99 
  9. Children's Hospital & Medical Center Foundation, Omaha, urban, $500,000
  10. Blue Elephant Counseling LLC, Dannebrog, rural, $436,237.03 
  11. Quality Healthcare Clinic LLC, Sutton, rural, $688,500
  12. Silver Sun Mental Health, dba Nebraska Mental Health Centers, Lincoln, urban, $13,911
  13. Banisters Leadership Academy, Omaha, urban, $500,000
  14. CEDARS Youth Services, Inc., Lincoln, urban, $114,965.12
  15. Health Center Association of Nebraska, Omaha, urban, $800,000
  16. Boone County Health Center, Albion, rural, $44,199
  17. Pender Community Hospital District, Pender, rural, $556,326.91
  18. Compass, Kearney, rural, $145,645
  19. For All Counseling Services Inc, Omaha, urban, $24,952

Behavioral Health Workforce COVID-19 Projects

Funding to metropolitan organizations: $1,245,974 or 57%.
Funding to rural organizations: $944,661 or 43%.

  1. University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Lincoln, urban, $80,000
  2. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, urban, $100,000
  3. University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, urban, $50,000
  4. University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, rural, $99,999
  5. University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, rural, $50,000
  6. Lutheran Family Services, Omaha, urban, $100,000
  7. Lutheran Family Services, Omaha, urban, $100,000
  8. Chadron State College, Chadron, rural, $100,000
  9. Cambridge Memorial Hospital Inc. dba Tri Valley Health System, Cambridge, rural, $35,035
  10. Restore Rebuild Reconnect Counseling Center, Omaha, urban, $42,788
  11. HopeSpoke, Lincoln, urban, $100,000
  12. Wholeness Healing Center PC, Grand Island, rural, $96,406
  13. Lincoln/Lancaster County Child Advocacy Center, Lincoln, urban, $17,000
  14. Miller and Micek Consulting LLC, Wayne, rural, $99,721
  15. Scottsbluff Public Schools, Scottsbluff, rural, $100,000
  16. Howard County Medical Center, St. Paul, rural, $100,000
  17. Wholeness Healing Center PC, Grand Island, rural, $100,000
  18. Wholeness Healing Center PC, Grand Island, rural, $73,500 
  19. UNMC - Wellness Center, Omaha, urban, $100,000
  20. UNMC - Wellness Center, Omaha, urban, $50,000
  21. The Bridge Behavioral Health, Lincoln, urban, $99,186
  22. Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges, Lincoln, urban, $47,250
  23. Completely KIDS, Omaha, urban, $99,750
  24. OneWorld Community Health Centers Inc., Omaha, urban, $100,000
  25. Silver Sun Mental Health, dba Nebraska Mental Health Centers, Lincoln, urban, $50,000
  26. Options in Psychology, LLC, Scottsbluff, rural, $20,000
  27. Midtown Health Center, Norfolk, rural, $19,898.95
  28. Heartland Counseling Services, Inc., South Sioux City, rural, $50,000
  29. Lincoln Medical Education Partnership, Lincoln, urban, $10,000
  30. Heartland Family Service, Omaha, urban, $50,000
  31. Nebraska Alliance of Child Advocacy Centers, Omaha, urban, $50,000

Funding for Supervision of Provisionally Licensed Providers

Funding to metropolitan organizations: $863,953 or 47%.
Funding to rural organizations: $974,378 or 53%.

  1. Heartland Counseling Services Inc., South Sioux City, rural, $25,000
  2. Heartland Counseling Services Inc., South Sioux City, rural, $100,000
  3. Four Corners Health Department, York, rural, $34,803.53 
  4. The Bridge Behavioral Health, Lincoln, urban, $100,000
  5. Camie L Nitzel, PhD, LP, LLC DBA Kindred Psychology, Lincoln, urban, $99,939
  6. Wholeness Healing Center PC, Grand Island, rural, $100,000
  7. The Cord: Where Science Meets Connection LLC, Omaha, urban, $100,000
  8. AM Counseling and Consulting, Bellevue, urban, $99,354
  9. Center for Psychological Services PC dba Live Well Counseling Center, Kearney, rural, $45,000
  10. Center for Psychological Services PC dba Live Well Counseling Center, Kearney, rural, $100,000
  11. Midwest Encouragement & Counseling Center LLC, Kearney, rural, $31,000
  12. Options in Psychology LLC, Scottsbluff, rural, $57,600
  13. Restore Rebuild Reconnect Counseling Center, Omaha, urban, $64,660
  14. Wholeness Healing Center PC, Grand Island, rural, $99,975
  15. Cirrus House Inc., Scottsbluff, rural, $81,000
  16. Cirrus House, Inc., Scottsbluff, rural, $100,000
  17. Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, Boys Town, urban, $100,000
  18. University of Nebraska at Omaha, urban, $100,000
  19. Children's Hospital and Medical Center Foundation, Omaha, urban, $100,000
  20. Creative Counseling and Studio LLC, Omaha, urban, $100,000
  21. Inspirit Counseling, PC, Chadron, rural, $100,000  
  22. Mid-Plaines Center for Behavioral Healthcare Services, Inc., Grand Island, rural, $100,000