BHECN-ARPA News

News regarding the BHECN-ARPA Awards Project -- December 2024

ARPA Spotlight No. 10: Restore Rebuild Reconnect Counseling Centers

This month's ARPA awardee profile features Restore Rebuild Reconnect Counseling Centers (R3CC) in Omaha. LaRhonda Flowers, PhD, owner and founder of R3CC (left), and Christy Wissink, MA, LIMHP, R3CC's chief operating officer (right), tell us more about their team's projects, which received support in the Behavioral Health Training and Education Opportunities, Behavioral Health Workforce COVID-19 Projects, and Funding for Supervision of Provisionally Licensed Providers categories.


Tell us about your projects and what made you want to pursue them?

 

Our supervision project provides stipends for supervisors who mentor provisionally licensed clinicians. Our practice focuses on a unique, high-risk community in Omaha and its surrounding areas. When we applied for the grant, we were overwhelmed by a surge in appointment requests that far outpaced our available scheduling. By securing this support, we were able to grow our team by bringing in more clinicians, which significantly improved our capacity to meet the needs of our community. This initiative ensures that supervisors receive compensation for their important work in guiding provisional clinicians through the credentialing process.

 

Our behavioral health training initiative offers an internship program specifically designed for master's level clinicians. This project includes stipends for both interns and their supervisors within the organization. Recognizing the heightened demand for quality hands-on experiences when working with high-risk populations, we established this internship opportunity to enable master's level clinicians to gain valuable experience with individuals post-incarceration, clients with co-occurring disorders, and those from marginalized communities. Additionally, we understand the critical importance of compensating our interns; prior to securing this grant, we lacked the resources to provide such support.

 

Our behavioral health workforce project aims to develop online training programs and educational resources for individuals affected by COVID-19. We pursued this grant with the understanding, as clinicians, of the importance of online resources created by peers who have experienced the challenges of the pandemic firsthand. Our goal is to share our unique insights gained from working with high-risk populations and to address strategies for alleviating burnout among professionals in the field.

 

What do you find most exciting about your projects?


The most rewarding aspect of the provisional stipend project has been the opportunity to expand our reach both within the community and statewide. By providing stipends to our supervisors, we’ve been able to grow our team, bringing on additional staff and therapists to enhance our capacity to serve clients through in-person sessions and telehealth. Thanks to this grant, we’ve relocated to a new office space three times larger than our previous location. This expansion has enabled us to introduce co-occurring intensive outpatient program groups and specialized groups for marginalized populations, as well as establish a spacious training room. In the coming year, this training space will be instrumental in hosting in-person workshops for clinicians eager to work with high-risk populations.


The most exciting aspect of the training grant has been the opportunity to collaborate with colleges across Nebraska to train more masters-level interns to serve formerly incarcerated individuals, those on federal probation, and other marginalized populations. This grant has allowed us to guide interns as they engage with clients whose experiences often differ greatly from their own. It has been a privilege to support them as they navigate doubts, confront biases, and work through the insecurities that come with being a new clinician. We have truly enjoyed helping them discover their niche, ignite their passion for helping others, and grow in confidence as they develop their professional identities.

 

One of the most exciting aspects of the workforce project has been the opportunity to think creatively about educational materials. Through our surveys, we’ve learned that clinicians and individuals often struggle to find time for lengthy training sessions. In response, we are focusing on developing diverse and accessible online training and educational resources. Our goal is to create content that supports reducing burnout and compassion fatigue, rather than contributing to it by overwhelming individuals with excessive information or lengthy videos. To achieve this, we are designing a variety of materials tailored to meet different needs and learning preferences.

 

What do you see as the biggest barrier to success for the projects?


The most significant challenge with the provisional stipend project has been navigating the hiring and onboarding process for clinicians. Given the complex needs of our clientele, it is essential to find professionals who align with our practice's mission and approach. Identifying candidates who are skilled and good fits for our organization can be a sometimes challenging process.

 

One barrier we have encountered with interns in our training project is the difficulty in balancing their academic schedules with our evening group sessions. Additionally, a significant challenge has been identifying interns who are genuinely interested in and capable of working with more complex and challenging populations. During the interview process, it has become clear that some candidates are not aligned with the demands and focus of our practice, making our site a less suitable fit for their internship experience.

 

A challenge we have encountered with our workforce project is navigating the technology learning curve involved in making these educational materials accessible online. We are currently in the final stages of developing the section of our website dedicated to hosting and delivering this content in an easy-to-use format.

 

What learnings have you gleaned from the projects so far?

 

The supervision space is crucial for provisional clinicians stepping into the behavioral health field. The experiences and guidance provided during this early phase of their career can significantly shape their professional journey. It is an honor to support these emerging clinicians as they take their first steps in this rewarding profession. Our goal is to equip them with the tools and confidence needed to thrive long-term in the people-helping field.

 

Similar to the supervision stipend, we have learned how vital the internship experience is for those learning and entering the behavioral workforce field. The internship site really sets the tone for the individual entering the field. This has been a wonderful experience to walk alongside new clinicians in the field. We want to be able to set them up for success long term within this people-helping field.

 

In terms of our workforce project, we have learned there is not a one size fits all approach to creating material and training to help clinicians. After seeing the survey results, we pivoted a little to create more synthesized and bite-size materials. This has been also helpful in making sure we are actually providing helpful materials to the behavioral workforce. 


Learn more about R3CC here.

Federal funding opportunity for rural organizations

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is excited to announce the Building Capacity through Rural Community Behavioral Health Organizations Mentorship and Support Program – a new funding opportunity for community behavioral health organizations (CBHOs), harm reduction organizations, and other community-based organizations servicing rural and frontier communities.


The request for applications (RFA) launched Dec. 2.


Through a competitive RFA process, the National Council will select up to 18 rural- or frontier-serving CBHOs, harm reduction organizations, and other community-based organizations. Funds will be awarded in amounts of up to $83,500 to participate in a six-month mentorship and support program beginning in February 2025.


Selected organizations will be paired with mentor organizations leading the field in rural and frontier services. Funding will support mentee organizations to implement, with support from their mentor organization and subject matter experts, strategies to enhance and expand critical services that reduce the risk of overdose by increasing engagement in evidence-based and innovative risk reduction strategies, linkage to care, and peer support services. 


Eligible applicants include community-based organizations in the U.S. that provide services within a rural area, as defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Applicants must use the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer [go.thenationalcouncil.org] or Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Rural Zip Codes File [go.thenationalcouncil.org] to determine their eligibility.

Centralized Credentialing for Nebraska Medicaid starts Jan. 1

Centralized Credentialing for Nebraska Medicaid is coming soon! Nebraska Medicaid approved the Centralized Verification Organization (CVO) selection by the three Nebraska managed care organizations (Nebraska Total Care, Molina Healthcare, and United Healthcare Community Plan) of the shared CVO vendor, Verisys.


Beginning Jan.1 providers seeking initial credentialing with any managed care organization for Nebraska Medicaid will use the newly implemented centralized credentialing process along with an NCQA certified Centralized Verification Organization (CVO).


Read more here.

Poster and presentation session proposals sought for 2025 Northeast Behavioral Health Conference

Poster and session proposals are now being sought for the 2025 Northeast Nebraska Behavioral Health Conference, which will be held Friday, March 25 at Wayne State College. 


You can:


The deadline to submit proposals is Jan. 3.


Learn more about the conference on the flier above or by visiting the conference webpage

Dec. 17 Grace Abbott training focused on Nebraska licensure basics

Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy (GATSA) will host an online training titled "Licensure 101: The Basics of Mental Health Licensure in Nebraska" on Tuesday, Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn more about the training, including how to register, here.


On a separate note, GATSA also offers supervision opportunities. Learn more here.

BHECN PMHNP Clinical Education Stipend Program

The BHECN PMHNP Clinical Education Stipend Program is designed to recruit and retain nurse practitioner preceptors and students in the field of psychiatry across Nebraska, with a focus on rural, under-resourced, and justice-involved communities.


The program offers stipends to qualified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs), physician assistants, and psychiatrists who supervise students enrolled in Nebraska PMHNP programs at UNMC, Creighton, or Clarkson.


Preceptors must complete at least 90 hours of supervision per semester, while students are required to complete at least 90 clinical hours in rural, under-resourced, and justice-involved communities.


Read more here.

Opportunities for collaboration



BOYS TOWN OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES IN GRAND ISLAND


Boys Town is hiring a clinic director and staff psychologist in Grand Island. Loan forgiveness and opportunities for training and supervision are available. Learn more about the positions at the Boys Town careers page.


NEBRASKA TELEBEHAVIORAL HEALTH NETWORK LOOKING FOR LIMHP/LISW


The Nebraska Telebehavioral Health Network, a new project that aims to provide telehealth services in rural parts of the state, seeks Licensed Independent Mental Health Providers or Licensed Independent Social Workers to work 10 to 35 hours a week either remotely or at one of their participating health centers. Learn more about the position, including how to apply, here.


FOUR CORNERS HEALTH DEPARTMENT SEEKS PRACTITIONER


Four Corners Health Department in York seeks a Graduate-Level Student or Provisional Mental Health Practitioner. This position will be involved in integrated behavioral health activities and public health programming within the Four Corners Health Department. The ability to set priorities, organize and coordinate work efficiently, and establish positive relationships with co-workers, clients, team members, health care and community partners is required. For questions call Laura at (402) 362-2621. To apply, email a resume to LauraM@fourcorners.ne.gov.   


Contact BHECN Strategic Communications Manager Chuck Brown at chubrown@unmc.edu if you would like to share a job, supervision, or collaboration opportunity.

Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska

984242 NE Medical Center

Omaha, NE 68198-4242

Phone: 402-552-7697

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