Skip to main content

Expanding Nebraska’s Behavioral Health Workforce through a Community Counseling Clinic Training Model

A new counseling clinic training model aims to expand student enrollment, strengthen workforce readiness, and serve high-need communities across the state.

Cozy seating area with two armchairs, a side table with a lamp, and a window letting in natural light

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is taking a major step to address Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce shortage with a newly funded initiative designed to expand student training and community impact.

🎯 Project Focus
The project will launch the Community Counseling Clinic Training Model (CCCTM), an innovative, community-based approach to expand counselor training and improve client outcomes across the state. Led by Ashley J. Blount, PhD, in UNO’s Counseling Department, the initiative is supported by a Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund award.

💡 Why it matters:
Nebraska faces a significant shortage of behavioral health providers.

  • 88 of 93 counties are designated shortage areas
  • Nearly one-third have no behavioral health provider
  • 33.8% of adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression

The need is clear: more trained professionals and faster pathways to get them into the workforce.

🚀 Key Initiatives
CCCTM reimagines how counseling students are trained by embedding real-world clinical experiences into community settings.

  • Partnership-driven: UNO Counseling will collaborate with Metropolitan Community College (MCC) to place clinics directly on MCC campuses.
  • Expanded capacity: The model addresses a key bottleneck; nearly 47% of qualified applicants were denied admission in recent cycles due to limited training space.
  • Hands-on learning: Students will receive structured, competency-based training focused on clinical skills, cultural responsiveness, and wellness.
  • Community impact: Clinics will serve high-need communities while building a stronger behavioral health pipeline.
🌎 The big picture:
CCCTM reflects UNO’s commitment to serving as a metropolitan university that drives workforce development, community engagement, and student success.
By combining academic training with real-world application, the program supports UNO’s strategic priorities to:
  • Educate all learners through experiential opportunities
  • Strengthen community partnerships
  • Address workforce and economic development needs

It also positions UNO as a leader in innovative, trauma-informed behavioral health education at both the state and national levels.

⚡ What’s next:
By year two, the program aims to:

  • Add new practicum sections across UNO and MCC sites
  • Enroll additional counseling students
  • Train more than 50 graduate-level counseling trainees
  • Demonstrate measurable gains in student competencies and client outcomes
The long-term goal is to create a scalable model that can be replicated across Nebraska and beyond.