BHECN-ARPA News

News regarding the BHECN-ARPA Awards Project -- Jan. 9, 2024

ARPA Spotlight No. 2: Blue Elephant Counseling LLC

Welcome to our second BHECN-ARPA newsletter! Our goal is to highlight the amazing work our awardees accomplish to improve the behavioral health workforce in Nebraska. We also want to create a forum for awardees to share important information like job openings and supervision opportunities.

 

In each newsletter, we will feature one BHECN-ARPA project and hear directly from the awardees about how project activities are progressing.

 

This awardee profile will feature Blue Elephant Counseling LLC, which is based in Dannebrog. Below Principal Investigator Katie Donahoo, pictured right, tells us more about the project, which received funding in the Telebehavioral Health in Rural Areas category.


Katie, tell us about your project and what made you want to pursue it?


Our project sought to expand a single member telehealth private practice into a group private practice to help meet the needs of rural Nebraska. As the owner and initial provider, it has long been a passion of mine to use technology to allow providers to reach the rural and frontier areas of our state while simultaneously allowing providers to live in areas they prefer in the state or elsewhere. 


It was my hope that by providing location independence to the providers it would attract high quality providers who seek longevity in the practice. 


What do you find most exciting about the project?


I find the prospect of providing services to all corners of the state the most exciting part of the project. Our entire company is learning so much about telehealth, business, and outreach. 


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


The greatest barrier is marketing to rural and remote areas. As a new business, we have few established relationships outside of our primary location. We see this, however, as a barrier we can overcome throughout the course of the project. 


What learnings have you gleaned from the project so far? 


Not all providers like providing services via telehealth and not all client like receiving services via telehealth. Insurance and funding barriers for client's remain an issue. Digital marketing is trickier than it seems. 


We have also learned that while telehealth is not preferred by all, those who were not initially interested but gave it a shot anyway found it to be worthwhile and were glad they tried it. Participants who remained in therapy longer than three sessions found the lack of travel, ease of access, and short wait times to be seen as outweighing their lack of desire for online sessions. Clients were pleasantly surprised at the ease of connection with their therapist in a virtual platform. 

Register today for Feb. 7 ARPA virtual networking forum!

BHECN-ARPA Awardees are invited to attend the second session of the BHECN ARPA Awardee Virtual Networking Series, which will be held Wednesday, Feb. 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. CT.

 

This session will feature a presentation about the ARPA program’s progress from Jessie Buche, Director of the BHECN ARPA Awards Program. BHECN Deputy Director Erin O. Schneider, EdD, MSW, also will provide an update about behavioral health measures and initiatives being discussed in the Nebraska Legislature.

 

Networking breakout sessions will be arranged by ARPA award category and moderated by BHECN-ARPA Awards Program Staff. During these sessions, awardees will be able to learn from other organizations about best practices, barriers to project implementation and opportunities for improvement.

 

Awardees can register here for the Feb. 7 session!

 

All members of organizations that received BHECN-ARPA funding are invited to attend the networking opportunities. Future sessions will be held in the coming months. 

 

More information about the networking sessions will be posted on the ARPA Awardees blog.

Awardee Performance Reports due Jan. 31

As a reminder, ARPA Awardee performance reports are due Jan. 31.

 

Download a report form here.

 

Contact BHECN ARPA Awards Director Jessie Buche, MPH, MA, at jbuche@unmc.edu or BHECN ARPA Awards Project Coordinator Caitlyn Wayment, MPH, at cwayment@unmc.edu if you have questions or need more information about the form. 

Programs announced, registration open for BHECN's 2024 Core Topics webinars

Registration is now open for 2024 Core Topics webinar series. The dates of the Core Topics webinars are Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26 -- which are all Mondays. These free webinars will run from noon to 1 p.m. Central Time.


This year’s theme, which is “The Business Side of Behavioral Health,” focuses on providing actionable business insights tailored to meet the needs of the behavioral health community.


The BHECN Core Topics webinar series engages behavioral health stakeholders from across the state to present on a variety of practical behavioral health topics. Trainees and providers attend these webinars to expand their knowledge of topics they may encounter as professionals.


The schedule of sessions is as follows:

Applications being accepted for BHECN's Lifelong Learning Fund through Jan. 19

BHECN is accepting applications for the Lifelong Learning Fund from now through Jan. 19.


The Lifelong Learning Fund provides support for student development opportunities, professional development opportunities, and career engagement activities. Applications for the Lifelong Learning Fund are accepted three times a year (October, January, and May).


Student and professional development opportunities that qualify for support include conference attendance, trainings, workshops, certificates, test preparation materials and other educational projects and events. 


Student development opportunities budget caps: 

  • Conference - $2,000 
  • Training, Workshop, and/or Certification - $1,000 
  • Test preparation materials - $250 
  • Educational project - $1,000 


Practicing professional development opportunities budget caps:

  • Conference Attendance - $2,000 
  • Training - $1,000 


First-time applicants, students and trainees and applications that impact individuals serving rural and/or underserved communities will be prioritized for funding.  


BHECN also will consider supporting projects that promote behavioral health careers to Nebraska students. Priority will be given to programs that reach students in rural and/or underserved communities and expose students to a wide range of behavioral health career opportunities.

  • Behavioral Health Careers for Nebraska Student Projects budget cap: $1,500


Apply for the Lifelong Learning Fund here.

Rural Practice Webinar Series starts Jan. 12. Register today!

The BHECN Panhandle is excited to launch the 2024 Rural Practice Webinar Series on Friday, Jan. 12. at 1 p.m. Central and noon in the Mountain Time Zone.


The webinar will feature a discussion with BHECN's Dr. Tara Wilson and Dr. Nathan Favaloro of Chadron State College about the challenges and benefits of providing rural supervision.


You can register for the webinar here and learn more about the event in the flier below.


Other webinars in the series will be held Jan. 19 and 26. More information will be announced soon!


Awardees in the news

In this section, we'll highlight media stories and other items that feature the work of BHECN ARPA-Awardees.


BHECN cohosts holiday event with AM Counseling and the Therapists of Color network


BHECN teamed up with AM Counseling and the Therapists of Color (TOC) Network to host a Mental Health Practitioners of Color holiday networking social on Dec. 7 in Omaha.


The event brought together 40 practitioners from an array of different multicultural backgrounds to continue efforts to build community, support, and comradery amongst each other as practitioners of color in Nebraska.


The event was hosted at the locally owned Oso Mix restaurant, which provided an abundance of flavorful, cultural delights for the holiday gathering.


Requests were made to have more networking socials in the future, so look out for more events in the coming months.  


Contact our Communications Coordinator Chuck Brown at chubrown@unmc.edu if your project gets covered in local media or other outlets and we'll make sure to share your story here!

Opportunities for collaboration

In this space, APRA awardees can share job openings, supervision and collaboration opportunities.


  • VIRTUAL SUPERVSION OPPORTUNITIES -- Grace Abbott Training and Supervision Academy. Learn more here.
  • WAYNE STATE COLLEGE STUDENTS SOUGHT FOR RESILIENCE COACHING STUDY -- Miller and Micek Consulting has launched a project to facilitate and assess student resilience with current students at Wayne State College. Following the pandemic, many schools found a high demand for additional mental health supports for students. The Miller and Micek project is focused on building resilience through the development of individualized resilience plans coupled with regular one-on-one coaching. Learn more about the project and how to participate here.


Contact our Communications Coordinator 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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