Five UNO Projects Aim to Boost Behavioral Health Training through $1.7 Million in BHECN Funding

Researchers and departments across the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) have received funding to boost training and recruitment of behavioral health professionals.

Five projects at UNO were awarded a combined $1.7 million in funding through the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN). In total, BHECN awarded more than $19.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to 83 projects across the state. More than 200 applications were considered across four categories:

• Behavioral Health Training and Education Opportunities (2 UNO awards)
• Telebehavioral Health in Rural Areas
• Behavioral Health Workforce COVID-19 Projects (1 UNO award)
• Funding for Supervision of Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Providers (1 UNO award)

Of those projects, five were awarded to the UNO colleges and departments totaling $1.7 million in grant funding. A second round of applications was opened this Spring and additional awardees are expected to be notified this summer.

Summaries of the five UNO projects awarded in the first round of funding are provided below.

Project REST (Reflect and Explore in Supervision Training)

Led by Susan Reay, Ed.D., LICSW. in collaboration with Ellen Rice, MS, Katie Robbins Case, LICSW, and Michelle Nelson, BGS
College of Public Affairs and Community Service

This project, through the Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy, will support specialized training for supervisors of mental health practitioners across the state. Experienced supervisors are critical to the guidance and development of future behavioral health professionals, yet few receive adequate training or support. Project REST aims to reduce burnout, stress, and trauma often experienced by behavioral health professionals by managing the emotionally intrusive nature of behavioral health work. This eight-month program ultimately aims to help retain current behavioral health professionals while also helping to train new ones.

This project is in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center on Children, Families, and the Law; the Erikson Institute; and the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska.

Counselor Training Recruitment and Clinical Practicum Experience

Led by Abby Bjornsen-Ramig, Ph.D., in collaboration with Charmayne Adams, Ph.D., Christine “Tina” Chasek, Ph.D., and Ashley Blount, Ph.D.
College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Through the Clinical Mental Health (CMH) concentration in the UNO Department of Counseling, graduate students train to become license-eligible practitioners. The program boasts a state-of-the-art community-based training clinic, aimed at providing affordable, evidence-based counseling to a diverse population of community members around the Omaha metropolitan area. By training in the UNO Community Counseling Clinic, students obtain valuable hands-on clinical practice under close supervision by licensed program faculty.

The BHECN funding will assist in recruiting and retaining students, instructors, and clinical supervisors from underserved populations to optimize the services provided to diverse populations across both the city and the state. Counseling graduate students training in the clinic will have access to expanded professional opportunities, as well as assistance in overcoming financial barriers through BHECN funding. Remaining funds will be allocated toward organized client recruitment efforts in underserved areas of the community, including marketing platforms and materials.

Advanced Clinical Training for Counselors in Training

Led by Charmayne Adams, Ph.D. in collaboration with Abby Bjornsen-Ramig, Ph.D., Christine “Tina” Chasek, Ph.D., and Isak Kim, Ph.D.
College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Students who are completing training to become clinical mental health counselors can face a variety of barriers to completing their education. These can include long unpaid clinical internships, difficulties finding quality supervision, and difficulties obtaining advanced training in critical areas such as telebehavioral health, suicide and crisis intervention, advanced clinical skills, and working with clients who present complex needs.

Through this project, students will have the opportunity to receive assistance in overcoming these barriers, receiving advanced training and a stipend for their clinical internship hours, and ultimately apply to secure licensure in the State of Nebraska upon graduation.

Broader Nebraska Social Work Sustainability (BNESWS) Project

Led by Alisha Olson, LCSW, and Konnie Kirchner, LCSW, in collaboration with Theori Kenny, LCSW, Sandy Cook Fong, Ph.D., and Henry D’Souza, Ph.D.
College of Public Affairs and Community Service

Through UNO’s Grace Abbott School of Social Work, this program aims to provide social work education to a greater number of students across Nebraska, particularly those interested in practicum opportunities in rural or frontier agencies across the state. It will provide stipends for students to receive practicum educational supervision by a qualified licensed clinical social worker in agencies statewide. The project also aims to build collaboration between UNO’s GASSW, rural/frontier social work agencies in Nebraska, the social work program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and AmeriCorps.

Embedded Therapist for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Led by Nathan Bock, MS, LIMHP, LADC in collaboration with Omaha Athletics.
Division of Student Life and Wellbeing

Funding provided through the BHECN award will be used to hire a provisional mental health therapist to be embedded within UNO’s athletic department. This therapist will assist with treatment, screening, training, and education surrounding mental health as it relates to student athletes. This position may also see other UNO students as time permits. Through this new position, a therapist who has recently graduated and been awarded licensure will be able to gain experience working in a high need area.