BHECN-ARPA News

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

First-year data evaluating the supervision components of the BHECN-ARPA Awards Program are the focus of a recently released paper in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Rural Mental Health.

A 2021 study by the Nebraska Legislature (LR 143) identified lack of supervision as a major contributor to Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce shortage, which led BHECN to dedicate an entire category of ARPA Awards funding to address the issue.

The data show that the investment led to a 110% increase in supervised providers, significant reductions in supervision barriers, and expanded supervisory capacity across participating organizations, said Jessie Buche, MPH, MA, Director of the BHECN ARPA Awards Program and one of the authors of the paper.

“Most clinicians must complete several years of supervised practice before independent licensure, but supervision activities are often unpaid and difficult for organizations to support,” Buche said. “This makes supervision one of the biggest behavioral health workforce barriers.”

Other authors on the paper, which can be  accessed here, were:

• Caitlyn Wayment, MPH, ARPA Awards Program Manager
• Sydney Buckland, PhD, APRN FNP-C, BHECN Research Project Coordinator
• Marley Doyle, MD, BHECN Director
• Melissa Tibbits, PhD, Associate Director of Evaluation

The ARPA Awards Program was established after the Nebraska Legislature charged BHECN with distributing pandemic recovery funds to address key behavioral health issues. Through the program, 19 organizations in Nebraska received funding from 2022 through 2025 to support supervision. The organizations used the funds to compensate supervisors’ time, pay supervisees, and offset costs for testing materials and other licensure needs.

The ARPA Awards Program also fostered many innovative approaches to addressing behavioral health workforce challenges, particularly in rural and underserved areas, Dr. Doyle said.

While the program is sunsetting, some initiatives launched during its operation—including many involving supervision—have garnered support from private entities such as philanthropic organizations and will continue into the future, Dr. Doyle said.

Being able to publish research about these initiatives is another way to help their impact continue, she added.

“We’re thrilled to be able to publish findings from this amazing program, as they highlight methods and initiatives that we believe can help strengthen the behavioral health workforce, not just in Nebraska, but across the entire nation,” Dr. Doyle said.

We are pleased to share that hotel rooms are available for B‑Con 2026 attendees at the Embassy Suites Downtown Omaha, the site of this year’s conference on Friday, April 24.

Please reserve your room soon to ensure availability.

Although registration for B‑Con 2026 has reached capacity, individuals may join a waiting list and will be notified if additional spots become available.

Please contact Valeta Creason‑Wahl at vcreason@unmc.edu to join the waiting list.

B‑Con 2026—BHECN’s second annual conference—will bring together members of Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce for a full day of continuing education, skill‑building sessions, and statewide collaboration.

This year’s keynote speaker, Leanna Fortunato, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist and Director of Quality and Health Care Innovation at the American Psychological Association, will examine the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in behavioral health care.

Additional breakout sessions will cover suicide prevention, crisis intervention for youth, supporting individuals with mental illness as they reenter the community after involvement in the corrections system, and more.



See more details about the conference here.

There's still time to register for the Brains, Bots, and Boundaries: Youth Mental Health in a Digital World, webinar series.

The free, four-part series examines how rapidly evolving digital technologies are shaping the mental health, identity development, and help‑seeking behaviors of adolescents and young adults.

Across four interactive sessions, presenters will explore the psychological impact of digital environments—including social media platforms and artificial intelligence tools—on youth and young adult mental health. Continuing education credits will be available.

Sessions will be held on March 20, March 27, April 3, and April 10 (all Fridays), from noon to 1 p.m. Central Time. Learn more about the series and register for the webinars here!

This webinar series is supported by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services through the School-Based Mental Health Training Grant.

Time also remains to register for "The Value of Integrated Care 2026," a free hybrid conference hosted by Creighton University on Saturday, May 2, from 8–11:30 a.m. CT. The conference is designed for healthcare professionals across Nebraska and the Omaha Metro region.

The event explores how integrated care can expand access to timely, high‑quality psychiatric and mental health services—a topic of increasing relevance as health systems work to meet growing community needs.

Participants may attend either in-person at the Mike and Josie Harper Center or online, and the program offers 3.25 continuing education hours through Creighton University Health Sciences Continuing Education, which is jointly accredited by ACCME, ACPE, and ANCC. The conference is free to attend, thanks to support from the BHECN ARPA Awards program.

Learn more and register here.

The Rare Impact Fund has announced a new funding initiative to support organizations dedicated to strengthening the nonclinical workforce serving young people.

Recognizing the essential role that mentors, coaches, peers, navigators, and other nonclinical providers play in youth mental health, this initiative aims to invest in programs that equip these individuals with the tools, training, connections, and culturally responsive resources needed to deliver high-quality support.

The Fund is seeking nonprofit partners to propose projects focused on building the skills, capacity, and long-term sustainability of the nonclinical youth mental health workforce. Priority will be given to efforts that are community-rooted, evidence-based, youth-centered, and that help elevate the legitimacy and recognition of this vital segment of the mental health ecosystem.

Grants will provide two years of program support, with awards ranging from $250,000 to $500,000.

Learn more and apply here.