BHECN-ARPA News

News regarding the BHECN-ARPA Awards Project -- December 2025

BHECN is excited to announce that Luz Colon-Rodriguez, LIMHP, has been named the new director of BHECN Central, and Stephaine Morse, LIMHP, LMHP, LADC, has been appointed co-director of BHECN Southwest.

Colon-Rodriguez (right) currently serves as the Director of Counseling and Prevention Education Services and 504 Coordinator at Central Community College (CCC). She is also the owner of LUMI Mental Wellness and Consulting LLC.

Morse (left) is the owner and operator of Platte Valley Counseling, LLC, in North Platte. She has spent most of her career in private practice helping clients with mental health and substance abuse. She also has been involved in community organizations such as Through the Eyes of the Child and Communities for Kids- North Platte.

In their BHECN roles, both will help advance the organization’s mission of developing Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce and ensuring that local needs and perspectives are incorporated into BHECN’s efforts to grow and support that workforce.

“Luz and Stephaine both bring tremendous passion and dedication for behavioral health, and we’re excited that they will help us strengthen the work our Central and Southwest sites do to advance BHECN’s mission in their respective parts of the state,” said Denise Pecha, LCSW, associate director for network initiatives.

Both have already begun their new roles and recently connected with key stakeholders at meet-and-greet events in Kearney and North Platte.

Learn more about BHECN’s sites here.

Creighton University will host an informational dinner in Kearney on Feb. 19 for nurses interested in expanding their scope of practice through the university’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) dual certification program.

Attendees will hear from faculty, students, and alumni about the growing need for PMHNPs and learn how Creighton’s flexible, online curriculum prepares practitioners to deliver holistic, evidence-based mental health care. The program includes synchronous classes and training in biopsychosocial assessment, psychiatric interviewing, pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions, and telehealth.

The event will be held Thursday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. at Cunningham’s on the Lake at 610 Talmadge St. in Kearney.

Learn more about the event, including how to RSVP, here. 

You have until Dec. 15 to submit nominations for the 2025 BHECN Annual Awards.

The awards recognize people who have made significant contributions towards improving behavioral health for those who live in Nebraska.

There are four award categories — the Ambassador Award, the Courage Award, the Champion Award, and the Behavioral Health Emerging Leader Award.

The Ambassador, Champion and Behavioral Health Emerging Leader Awards recognize students, trainees or professionals. The Courage Award recognizes individuals who live with mental illness.

Read more about the awards and access nomination forms here.

The Intern Foundry (IF) program seeks behavioral health organizations to host talented honors students during the summer of 2026.

The Intern Foundry is a partnership between the Foundry and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Honors Program that aims to address the “brain drain” in Nebraska.

It pairs high-achieving students with work-based learning opportunities in areas of critical community and organizational need to cultivate a long-term talent ecosystem among the next generation of community and business leaders.

For 2026, the program aims to connect three students with organizations in Omaha, Lincoln and Greater Nebraska. 

The interns will be placed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Interested organizations should contact both Julie Murray-Jensen at julie@thefoundry.co and Peyton Schoone at peyton@thefoundry.co to set up a call in December or early January to walk through the program opportunity to ensure it's a good fit.

Learn more about the program here.

Do you have other opportunities for students?

UNL Honors also is a great way to connect with high-achieving students, many of whom are interested in meaningful internship and service opportunities throughout the state. If you are interested in advertising opportunities with your organization to UNL Honors students, the program has a weekly newsletter that is sent to students during the academic year.

Please send any information to honors@unl.edu and indicate it’s for the newsletter. Submissions are due by Monday each week for the Wednesday newsletter.

Dec. 16 webinar focused on the future of rural health

The College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL), The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and Health Management Associates (HMA) will host a webinar on Dec. 16 focused on the future of rural health. 

As states and local governments move swiftly to launch efforts under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), there is an opportunity to elevate the role of behavioral health and lessons learned about the rural behavioral health workforce.

Increasing demand and shortages in the workforce are long-standing challenges for rural communities. The RHTP is an opportunity to lean into scalable solutions and to intensify partnerships within the community to meet the need and to strengthen the workforce.

From traditional to non-traditional workforce solutions, now is the time to identify what works and to scale those nationally. This session will explore lessons learned from across sectors and examine the community partnerships that are building effective strategies.   

Learn more about the webinar and register here.