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October 2025

As the next application cycle for BHECN’s Lifelong Learning Fund (LLF) opens, the experience of Seth Nelson demonstrates the many ways the fund supports students and practitioners.

Nelson — a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska Omaha’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program — used LLF support to cover the cost of his National Counseling Exam (NCE).

The NCE is a critical step toward licensure, but the cost often delays students from taking it. This can slow their progress toward licensure and, in some cases, prevent them from entering the workforce altogether.

Thanks to BHECN’s support, Seth was able to take the exam while still in school — when the material was fresh and he was fully immersed in his studies.

“Without the fund, I probably would’ve waited six months or more to take the exam,” Seth said. “That support allowed me to move forward confidently right after finishing my coursework.”

By passing the exam before graduation, Seth gained a competitive edge in the job market and secured a position at Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS), where he now provides therapy to individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.

Launched in 2023, the LLF helps behavioral health students and professionals access essential opportunities such as training, conferences, and licensure exams.

The current application cycle for the LLF runs Oct. 1–15.

Learn more about the LLF – including how to apply – here.

Along with the Lifelong Learning Fund, the next application cycle for the Graduate Trainee Support Program (GTSP), formerly known as the Graduate Trainee Stipend Program, also opens this month. The program features some exciting updates as well.

GTSP applications will be accepted Oct. 10 through Nov. 10 for experiences starting in the Spring. The program financially supports master’s-level students in behavioral health graduate programs across Nebraska during their advanced practicum or internship experiences that serve rural, public-sector, or justice-involved communities.

Under the new tiered model, students completing 200 hours or more of their final clinical experience may be eligible for funding.

Additionally, students who complete their experience in a justice-involved setting may qualify for up to an additional $5,000 bonus. To be eligible, students must have a confirmed practicum or internship placement, be in good academic standing, and intend to practice in Nebraska after graduation.

Learn more about the program and how to apply here.

A recently released BHECN report sets forth the framework for a statewide strategy to strengthen Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce.

The report, developed from discussions at BHECN’s inaugural Behavioral Health Workforce Partners Conference in June, highlights key priorities for a coordinated statewide approach. Conference attendees included representatives from approximately 25 organizations across Nebraska and beyond.

“This document not only reflects where we are today; it also lays the foundation for a coordinated strategic plan to guide future investment in Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce,” said BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD.

The report identifies three priority areas for shaping the strategy:

• Enhancing access to training, preparation, and support
• Strengthening career awareness and entry pipelines
• Streamlining communication and systems alignment

Specific actions and initiatives under each priority are outlined in the full report, which can be read here.

BHECN plans to continue the conversation with partners in multiple ways, including at its second annual conference on April 24, 2026, in Omaha. Planning for that event is already underway.

“We need a statewide strategy to address key behavioral health issues,” Dr. Doyle said. “We are excited to continue working with our partners to craft a strategy that will improve behavioral health care across Nebraska.”

BHECN UNMC team hits the road, sees great work going on in the Panhandle!

In the photo above, Christina Winters, left, a licensed student counselor at Chadron State College, talks about the work done at her clinic with some members of the BHECN team.

The stop at the clinic, which received support as part of the BHECN-ARPA Awards Program, was part of a recent visit BHECN UNMC team members made to the Nebraska Panhandle.

The team gathered with students, clinicians, educators and behavioral health leaders in Chadron and Gering.

Over coffee and conversation, they learned about the incredible work happening in the region and connected with those shaping the future of behavioral health in the Panhandle.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) seeks preclinical and clinical research studies that will have high impact and quickly yield the necessary results to advance candidate interventions to prevent or treat Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) overdose closer to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval/authorization/clearance and/or implementation into clinical practice and community care.

There is particular interest in the development of therapeutic interventions for:

• Prevention of initiation of SUDs
• Prevention of progression of the severity of SUDs
• Reduction of the dose of opioids analgesics
• Improvement of SUD treatment adherence
• Facilitation of substance use discontinuation 
• Treatment of drug withdrawal signs and symptoms
• Treatment of neonatal drug withdrawal
• Treatment of co-morbid SUDs
• Reduction of lethality of overdose
• Reduction of overdose relapse
• Reduction of the risk of substance-induced respiratory depression
• Any other behavioral and medical manifestations or consequences of SUDs or overdose
• Single or multiple comorbid SUDs
• Populations at high risk for SUDs

Learn more about the opportunity here.

BHECN has online training opportunities

See our offerings here!

 402.552.7697 | bhecn@unmc.edu