BHECN-ARPA News

News regarding the BHECN-ARPA Awards Project -- January 2026

ARPA Awards Program evaluation data was recently featured in BHECN’s 2024-2025 Legislative Report.

Specifically the report focused on year-one data that showed ARPA funds are improving and expanding supervision opportunities for provisionally licensed behavioral health professionals in Nebraska.

Supervision can pose a barrier to full licensure in Nebraska because providers often receive little to no compensation for their time supervising students and provisionally licensed providers, said Jessie Buche, MPH, MA, director of the BHECN ARPA Awards Program.

“Lack of compensation has caused many licensed providers in Nebraska to forgo being supervisors because they need to take time away from their practices,” Buche said. “This historically made it difficult for students to find needed internships and created barriers for provisionally licensed providers seeking full licensure.”

Evaluation of year-one data from the BHECN ARPA Awards Program showed organizations receiving support to bolster supervision increased the total number of supervisees from 97 to 174—representing a 110% increase.

Read the full story here and access the full Legislative Report here. 

BHECN is excited to host B-Con 2026 -- our second annual conference -- on April 24, 2026 at the Embassy Suites Downtown Omaha. 

B-Con 2026 will build on BHECN's inaugural conference and bring together Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce for a professional conference offering continuing education credits, skill-building sessions, and statewide collaboration. 

More information, including speakers and registration, will be announced soon!

The time has changed for Creighton University's Feb. 19 informational dinner for nurses interested in expanding their scope of practice through the university’s Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) dual certification program.

The dinner will now be held at 7 p.m. at Cunningham’s on the Lake at 610 Talmadge St. in Kearney. It was originally scheduled for 5 p.m.

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.

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

Applications for BHECN’s Lifelong Learning Fund (LLF) will be accepted Feb. 1-15.

The fund provides support for three categories of professional development:

• Student development and training
• Professional development opportunities for behavioral health practitioners (provisionally or fully licensed)
• Statewide training events

Learn more about the Lifelong Learning Fund and how to apply here.