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.
- 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.
- Legislative Reports
  BHECN's biennial legislative reports examine the characteristics of actively practicing behavioral health providers in Nebraska.
- Nebraska Behavioral Health Policy Forum
  This forum discussed how investments in BHECN are being used to recruit, train, and retain behavioral health and rural healthcare providers across 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

Behavioral Health Workforce Partners Conference

Dr. Marley Doyle presents at the Inaugural Behavioral Health Workforce Partners Conference.

BHECN is proud to share the 2025 Nebraska Behavioral Health Workforce Partnership (NEBWP) Report, a milestone resource developed from conversations at our inaugural conference in June.

This report captures the insights, challenges, and opportunities identified by behavioral health leaders and practitioners across the state. It not only reflects where we stand today but also lays the groundwork for a coordinated statewide strategy to guide future investment in Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce.

Key Priorities Identified

The report outlines three initial priorities for strengthening Nebraska’s behavioral health system:

Enhancing access to training, preparation, and support
Strengthening career awareness and entry pipelines
Streamlining communication and systems alignment

Each priority is accompanied by specific actions and strategies to move the work forward.

Resources from the Inaugural Conference

The inaugural Behavioral Health Workforce Partners Conference, held June 10, 2025, at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha, brought together partners from across the state. Below you’ll find key materials shared at the event:

Save the Date: 2026 Conference

We’re excited to continue this important work together. Please mark your calendar for our second annual conference:

📅 Friday, April 24, 2026
📍 Embassy Suites, Downtown Omaha

More details, including registration and agenda, will be announced in the coming months.