Attendees representing approximately 25 organizations from Nebraska and beyond participated in the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska’s inaugural Behavioral Health Workforce Partners Conference on June 10 in Omaha.
BHECN hosted the conference to connect state workforce leaders, identify priority workforce needs and begin developing a collaborative, statewide behavioral health workforce plan, said BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD.
“Over the past several months, it’s become increasingly clear that there is a need to convene behavioral health leaders from across the state to help address key workforce issues,” Dr. Doyle said.
The conference featured a presentation on national behavioral health workforce trends, as well as state-specific interventions, by Rebekah Falkner and Laura Galbreath of the National Academy of State Health Policy.
It also included discussions among attendees on strategies to address workforce challenges in the areas of outreach and engagement, career preparation and training experiences.
A white paper based on the conversations and feedback received at the conference will be developed and published on the BHECN website this fall.
Plans are underway for the second conference, which will be held on April 24, 2026, in Omaha, Dr. Doyle said.
“We were thrilled to be able to host this gathering, which we view as just the beginning of this important work,” she said.