WHAT: The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) is holding a conference this weekend for high school students possibly considering a career in behavioral health. Thirty-two students from around the state will participate in the conference (see list below).
The conference – the 1st BHECN Ambassador Program: High School Conference – is one of the key ways that BHECN is trying to meet its mission of addressing the shortage of behavioral health professionals in Nebraska.
BHECN hopes to develop a behavioral health workforce for rural Nebraska by investing in students from rural Nebraska and connecting them with information and resources to explore behavioral health careers.
BHECN is putting together a group of faculty from Chadron State College, UNMC, UNO, UNK and UNL, along with trainees and providers representing diverse behavioral health and substance abuse professions.
WHEN: The conference will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 12, and from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.
WHERE: Younes Conference Center, 416 W. Talmadge Rd., Kearney
WHO: The following people will be available for media interviews:
Howard Liu, M.D., a child psychiatrist for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and BHECN medical director, cell: 734-717-1495.
Ann Kraft, conference coordinator, cell: 402-490-2963.
In addition, some of the students also will be available for interviews.
Here’s a list of the students attending by home town and high school:
Alma — Alma High School: Mackenzie Millard
Beatrice — Beatrice High School; Brooke Buss
Crawford — Crawford High School; Jancee Byers
Gordon — Gordon Rushville High School; Destiny Fortin
Grand Island — Grand Island Senior High; Josh Cleveland and Brandi Kirk
Harrison — Sioux County High School; Jonny Dunn and John Murphy
Hastings — Hastings Senior High School; Carl Babcock and Sierra Edmisten
Hemingford —Hemingford High School; Kaitlyn Bergfield and Paige Phillips
Holdrege — Holdrege High School; Heather Smith
Kearney – from Kearney Catholic High School; Jerilynn Clyne, Lauren Messbarger, Kayla Shundoff, and Nick Theis: from Kearney High School; Tiffany Gawrych, Madelyn George, Carleen Glenn, Daniela González Nuño, Tina Javidi, Grace Manley, and Griffin Mims
Kimball — Kimball Jr/Sr High School; Darbi Klinkhammer
Newport — Keya Paha County High School; Sarah Connell
Norfolk — Norfolk Public High School; Abby Stewart
North Platte — North Platte High School; Anna Baltz
Omaha — Millard North High School; Emily Kraft
Sutherland — Sutherland High School; Katelyn Hecht
York — York High School; Alexis Lynn Hromadka, and Carlie Pickrel
For more information on BHECN, go to www.unmc.edu/bhecn.