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 Support Program
    The Graduate Trainee Support Program financially bolsters 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.
- B-Con
  Learn more about BHECN’s Annual Conference!
- 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.
- Workforce Report and Data Snapshots
  Read our latest report about the Nebraska behavioral health workforce and access data snapshots that explore the workforce in greater detail.
- Legislative Reports
  BHECN's biennial legislative reports examine the characteristics of actively practicing behavioral health providers in 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.
- BHECN Southeast
  BHECN Southeast is headquartered at Region 5 Systems and focuses on meeting the behavioral health workforce needs of Southeast Nebraska.
The Nebraska Model

Physician Assistant

An icon image of a physician assistnt Physician assistants (PAs) are highly trained medical professionals who practice medicine as part of a healthcare team, working under the supervision of a licensed physician.

In behavioral health settings, PAs conduct psychiatric evaluations, take medical histories, perform physical exams, and assess patients’ mental and physical health.

They can diagnose conditions, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and coordinate referrals to specialists or other services.

PAs play an important role in expanding access to care, especially in rural or underserved areas.

PA students receive a broad-based medical education that includes intensive classroom study and hands-on clinical rotations in fields such as psychiatry, internal medicine, family medicine, and geriatrics. This training prepares them to treat the whole person and address both physical and behavioral health needs.

Education Requirements

A bachelor’s degree followed by a graduate-level PA program, which typically takes 2–3 years and includes both classroom instruction and supervised clinical practice. Overall, expect about six to seven years of education and training after high school.

Work Environment

PAs can be found in a variety of settings, including behavioral health clinics, psychiatric hospital units, emergency rooms, private practices, correctional facilities, and community health centers.

Projected Growth & Salary Range

Projected Growth: 30% increase in job outlook over the next decade, much faster than average.

Salary Range: $120,260 - $162,600

Specializations, Programs & Required License/Certificate

Specializations: N/A

Programs:

University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) | Omaha and Kearney | 402.559.4000 | unmc.edu
Creighton University | Omaha | 402.280.2700 | creighton.edu
College of Saint Mary | Omaha | 402.399.2400 | csm.edu
Union College | Lincoln | 402.486.2600 | uau.edu

Required License/Certificate:

Physician Assistant License

Explore More Behavioral Health Careers →