The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska has received $250,000 to support two programs designed to develop the pipeline of students going into behavioral health careers.
The UnitedHealthcare Empowering Health grant will enhance BHECN’s mission to recruit, train and maintain a quality behavioral health workforce in Nebraska by providing additional funding support for BHECN’s Ambassador and Nebraska Behavioral Health Education Partnership (NeBHEP) programs.
“At BHECN, we are delighted to have the opportunity to expand Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce by strengthening programming with students and leadership within behavioral health training programs,” said Marley Doyle, MD, BHECN director. “We value our students, and this grant will allow us to implement projects that will nurture and support them throughout their training and careers.”
The BHECN Ambassador program encourages students to explore and pursue behavioral health careers. The NeBHEP program is a partnership between BHECN and the 17 graduate behavioral health academic programs in Nebraska.
Innovative project initiatives include:
- The development of a smartphone app that would provide access to training resources and a communication platform for current and future students;
- Creating a NeBHEP United Listserv to promote collaboration among the partner programs; and
- Support for mentorship and educational opportunities in rural and underserved Nebraska.
The United Health Care Empowering Health Grant funding will officially begin enhancing student and behavioral health provider engagement on July 1, 2020, and continue through June 30, 2021.
BHECN is one of four Nebraska organizations to receive Empowering Health grants from UnitedHealthcare to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.
“This unprecedented environment has compounded challenges faced by Nebraska’s most vulnerable residents and created further barriers to accessing the health care and services they need,” said Rob Broomfield, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Nebraska. “Our support of these organizations in Nebraska through this UnitedHealthcare Empowering Health commitment will help provide critical aid and resources to the communities in Nebraska that need it the most.”
The Empowering Health grants bring to more than $100 million UnitedHealth Group’s efforts to fight COVID-19 and assist impacted communities by supporting vulnerable populations, protecting the health care workforce and advancing breakthrough innovations in testing and treatment.
Congratulations, Dr. Doyle!