May 2025

WELCOME TO BeHERE NV!

The Behavioral Health Education, Retention, and Expansion Network of Nevada (BeHERE NV) is a new workforce development initiative to increase the number of providers of behavioral health care in Nevada. In 2023, the Nevada Legislature unanimously passed Assembly Bill 37 to create a statewide behavioral health workforce development center within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). In September 2023, the NSHE Board of Regents designated the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) to serve as the administrative hub for BeHERE NV and to build connections across the state.

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Policy & Pathways 01

BeHERE Scholar of the Month 02

UNR Scholar Dinner 03

UNLV Community Expo Event 04

Celebrating Ashley Noel Pruitt: Policy Impact Award Winner 05

K-12 Highlights: Career Fairs and Industry Connections! 06

Mapping Your Next Steps: A Roadmap for New Behavioral Health Professionals Virtual Summit 07

BeHERE NV Presented at Nevada Public Health Association Annual Conference 08

Mental Health Awareness Month 09

Policy & Pathways

by Ashley Noel Pruitt, M.A.

Associate Director of Technical Assistance and Policy

Policy

Change is a significant aspect of the legislative process! As the session progresses, bills are receiving alterations and adjustments called amendments. An amendment can tweak key wording or absolutely transform the core of a bill. As of the publication of this newsletter, several behavioral health and workforce bills are still active and amending. Click the amendment links below to see the evolution of bills most important to you.

AB269: Expands student loan repayment to include marriage and family therapists, clinical alcohol and drug counselors, alcohol and drug counselors, and licensed problem gambling counselors; amendment adds behavior analysts.

AB15: Medicaid fraud subpoenas; grants the Attorney General the authority to issue subpoenas during investigations of Medicaid fraud.

AB52: Timely claims processing; uniform requirements governing the time periods for payment of health insurance claims; requires the Division of Insurance to provide outreach and support about changes.

AB60: Changes to Prevention Specialists and Peer Recovery Support Specialists

AB282: Health care billing errors.

AB314: Health Care Pathways Program and inclusion in existing tuition reimbursement program.

AB340: Relating to insurance. Requires insurers to include coverage for screening, assessment, and diagnosis of ADHD, FASD, intellectual disabilities, and specific learning disabilities for youth.

AB514: Medicaid coverage for mental health services: community based therapeutic group homes.

SB47: Support for parity study by insurance plans.

SB78: Revises provisions relating to boards, commissions, and councils.

SB165: Licensure of Behavioral Health and Wellness Practitioners.

SB300: Requires Medicaid to cover certain mental health services provided at a federally qualified health center (FQHC).

SB353: Establishes a specific Medicaid billing category and reimbursement rate for university training clinics.

SB434: Establishes the Statewide Health Care Access and Recruitment Grant Program.

SB429: Social Work Scholarship.

BeHERE SCHOLAR OF THE MONTH

Emet Leavitt

UNLV Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Emet Leavitt is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with the goal of earning a counseling license to provide Trauma-Informed, Gender-Affirming Counseling for the LGBTQIA+ community in Nevada. As a proud transgender, Queer man, Emet is deeply passionate about advocating for his beautifully diverse community and ensuring that everyone has access to affirming, compassionate care.

Emet's focus in clinical mental health centers on the intersection of identity, trauma, and healing. This passion comes from his own lived experiences navigating systems that weren’t designed with people like him in mind, as well as the joy he feels witnessing change within those systems. Every step he takes in this field is driven by the belief that every person deserves to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

Without the BeHERE scholarship, Emet’s journey to completing this program would have taken over four years and come with significant financial challenges. Thanks to BeHERE NV, he began his program in Fall 2024 and is on track to graduate in Spring 2026 with a 4.0 GPA. This scholarship has already had a profound impact on his life, opening doors to affirm diverse identities, empower voices, and create safe, inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals across Nevada.

Emet was in complete shock when he received the news. He was sitting in a hospital room with his mother, who had been diagnosed with a serious illness, and was struggling with the possibility of needing to put his education on hold. When he received the email about being awarded the full scholarship, he could hardly believe it- it felt like the first glimmer of hope after a long, dark storm. Once the disbelief passed, all that remained was gratitude, hope, and a joy he hadn't felt in nearly a year.

Outside of school, Emet enjoys spending time with his family, including his five dogs, reading, and exploring new places. His family, especially his mom, sister, brother, niece, and their dogs, are his heart and foundation. He also takes great joy in training his shepherd mix, a three-legged rescue from the Las Vegas Animal Shelter, who constantly teaches him about patience, resilience, and unconditional love. Traveling has allowed him to connect with the richness of different cultures, reminding him that we all belong to something beautifully human.

UNR Scholars Dinner

The BeHERE NV team, in partnership with the Community Behavioral Health Collaborative (CBHC), recently hosted a special dinner to celebrate the successes of our BeHERE NV Scholars, their Mentors, and their loved ones. Throughout the evening, we heard from inspiring speakers, including Elizabeth Dear, MFT, LCADC — a dedicated mentor within Reno, Nevada — and Alex Sanchez, CPC-I, a proud CBHC program alumnus. Both shared heartfelt reflections on the critical role of connection and mentorship within the behavioral health community. This successful event allowed us to highlight the incredible progress our scholars have made within the last year. It was a true reflection of the strong, supportive community we are building together through BeHERE NV and CBHC.

UNLV Community Engagement Expo Event

Dr. Sara Hunt and Adriana Monroy at the Community Engagement Expo

The UNLV Community Engagement Expo is a dynamic event that fosters collaboration and strengthens connections among those involved in community engagement across campus. It offers a valuable opportunity to build and expand UNLV’s campus-wide network of students, staff, and faculty engaged in community-focused work.

At the event, Dr. Sara Hunt represented BeHERE NV with a poster presentation on Partnership and Policy, highlighting the critical shortage of mental health professionals, particularly in rural areas. In May 2022, the BeHERE NV initiative was presented to the Rural Behavioral Health Policy Board. The board voted in July 2022 to move forward with the concept of a bill that would eventually become AB 37. We then collaborated with Board Chair Fergus Laughridge and Rural Behavioral Health Coordinator Valerie Haskin to develop the BDR concept language. The full board approved the concept language for submission to the Legislative Counsel Bureau during its August 2022 meeting.

A special shout-out goes to Adriana Monroy and Yuhan Bi for their collaboration on the BeHERE NV poster for the Expo. Their efforts helped effectively communicate the program’s impact.

Celebrating Ashley Noel Pruitt: UNLV School of Public Policy and Leadership Policy Impact Award Winner

Ashley Noel Pruitt, Associate Director of Technical Assistance & Policy

On April 17, 2025, the BeHERE TV team proudly came out to support our Associate Director of Technical Assistance & Policy, Ashley Noel Pruitt, as she received the Policy Impact Award for her Doctor of Public Policy Capstone Project—recognized as one of the highest-impact community initiatives among her cohort. Ashley is currently completing the final stages of her Public Policy Doctorate, which she will officially earn in May. We at BeHERE are incredibly proud of the dedication, passion, and excellence she brings both in and out of the office. Ashley is a powerful advocate for mental health equity and the development of effective systems of care.

BeHERE NV Presented at Nevada Public Health Association Annual Conference

Ashley Noel Pruitt, Sarah Hartzell, and Allie Lovitt at the Nevada Public Health Association Annual Conference

Dr. Sarah Y. Hartzell and Ashley Noel Pruitt represented the BeHERE NV team at the Nevada Public Health Association Annual Conference, where they presented “BeHERE NV: Working to Improve the Behavioral Health Workforce in Nevada.” Their presentation highlighted the program’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Nevada’s behavioral health workforce through research, collaboration, and strategic development.

We were also pleased to have our BeHERE Data Analyst, Dr. Allie Lovett, in attendance to support the presentation and engage with public health professionals from across the state.

K-12 Highlights: Career Fairs and Industry Connections!

In April, we focused on connecting students to real-world experiences that inspire and inform their future careers in behavioral health and beyond. Our growing partnerships with providers such as Natalie Sanchez, MFT and Rhoda Lawrence at Northern Nevada Child and Adolescent Services have allowed us to expand youth content to include more hands-on experiences and direct connections with a diverse range of professionals. Building strong relationships with industry representatives is essential to inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in behavioral health.

Ms. Natalie Sanchez at UNR Upward Bound

We kicked things off with Natalie Sanchez, MFT, who spoke with UNR Upward Bound students about her powerful journey as a first-generation college student and her path into the mental health field. Her story resonated deeply and left students motivated to explore their own purpose-driven paths.

Sarah Hartzell, Regional Coordinator

Our team hit the road for several career fairs, making stops in Tonopah (with students also joining from Round Mountain, Gabbs, Goldfield, Silver Peak, and Dyer), Yerington, and Dayton to share behavioral health career opportunities and engage with rural youth about the possibilities ahead.

Jill Manit served as a guest judge for the SkillsUSA Community Action Project competition — supporting youth who are designing meaningful change in their communities. Big thanks to Kyle Cassinelli at TMCC for the invitation!

On April 24, Reed High School’s Health & Human Services Academy students visited Northern Nevada Child & Adolescent Services for an immersive experience that included meeting a variety of behavioral health providers, learning about the services offered, and touring the agency. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, enjoy some pizza, and collaborate with staff to brainstorm ideas for a service project to give back to the agency. Experiences like this are critical to building students’ career self-efficacy — helping them see themselves working in these environments and contributing meaningfully to their communities. As one student remarked, “It’s less office-y than I expected… it feels more like a school.”

We’re proud to support Mrs. Roni Green at Reed High School and Rhonda Lawrence, MFT with Northern Nevada Child and Adolescent Services—their thoughtful collaboration and commitment to student learning are exactly the kind of partnerships that help move our mission forward.

Mapping Your Next Steps: A Roadmap for New Behavioral Health Professionals Virtual Summit

BeHERE NV extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended our very first virtual summit. It was an honor to bring together Nevada college students, emerging behavioral health professionals, and individuals interested in careers in mental and behavioral health.

The summit provided a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and feel inspired about the next steps in academic and professional journeys. We were thrilled to welcome a total of 100 registered participants!

We also extend our sincere thanks to all the presenters who shared their insights, experiences, and perspectives from various career stages and areas of interest within the behavioral health field. Your contributions made the summit engaging and impactful.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month!

This month, we focus on the importance of mental well-being for all ages. For millions living with mental health conditions, awareness is key to support and healing. We also emphasize the mental health needs of children, laying the foundation for lifelong well-being.

As we recognize mental health, we must also prioritize workforce development. At BeHERE NV, our program is helping build a strong, well-trained behavioral health workforce to better serve Nevada communities. To learn more about career and education pathways to work in behavioral health in Nevada, check out our Education Pathways.

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