The purpose of the BHWET Program for Professionals is to increase the supply of behavioral health professionals while also improving distribution of a quality behavioral health workforce and thereby increasing access to behavioral health services. A special focus is placed on the knowledge and understanding of children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth at risk for behavioral health disorders.

Limited Submissions Internal Call for Proposals: HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals
UNC Internal Deadline:11:59pm, Monday, November 16, 2020.
HRSA Deadline: January 21, 2021
Program Description: The purpose of the BHWET Program for Professionals is to increase the supply of behavioral health professionals while also improving distribution of a quality behavioral health workforce and thereby increasing access to behavioral health services. A special focus is placed on the knowledge and understanding of children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth at risk for behavioral health disorders.
Program Goals:
- Establish relationships with community-based partners (e.g. hospitals, crisis centers, state and local health departments, emergency departments, faith-based organizations, first responders, and judicial systems) to increase access to quality behavioral health services in high need and high demand areas for populations across the lifespan;
- Promote collaborative training by utilizing team-based models of care in integrated, interdisciplinary behavioral and primary care settings; and
- Recruit a workforce that reflects participation in the institutions’ programs of individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and class backgrounds, and different genders and sexual orientations, interested in serving high need and high demand areas interested in serving high need and high demand areas.
- Increase the number of experiential training sites to promote the integration of behavioral health into primary care settings in high need and high demand areas. Experiential placements must include interdisciplinary training of two or more health disciplines using a team-based care approach to provide quality behavioral health services;
- Enhance didactic and experiential training activities through the development of competencies in primary and behavioral integrated, interprofessional team-based trauma informed care, for trainees, faculty, and staff;
- Establish community partnerships to ensure participation in the institutions’ programs of individuals and groups from different racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and class backgrounds, and different genders and sexual orientations, opportunities for field placements, community education, career development, and provide job placement services, to increase access to behavioral health services; HRSA-21-089 2
- Promote technology integration in the provision of services and training programs, including utilizing telehealth services, implementing strategies to increase digital health literacy, and offering options for distance learning; and
- Reduce financial barriers by providing financial support to trainees in the form of stipends and other participant support costs.
HHS and HRSA Priorities: Improving mental health care and access to quality services is a HHS and HRSA clinical priority. The BHWET program seeks to address this priority by increasing the behavioral health workforce across disciplines, in high need and high demand areas, and through the collaboration with community-based partnerships.
Number of Applications per Institution: 1, Multiple applications from an organization are not allowable. Where multiple programs are interested in applying under this funding announcement, you may collaborate across programs to submit a single application.
Estimated Award Amount: Up to $480,000 per year. Awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
Cost Sharing: Cost sharing is only required for doctoral level Psychology, Psychiatry, Behavioral Pediatrics and Psychiatric Nursing Internships, where applicable, to cover any student stipend costs beyond $28,352 per geographic reimbursement requirements set by the applicable association (42 U.S.C. § 797(b) of the Public Health Service Act)
Award Project Period: July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025 (4 years)
Eligibility:
- Accredited institutions of higher education or accredited professional training programs that are establishing or expanding internships or other field placement programs in mental health in psychiatry, psychology, school psychology, HRSA-21-089 6 behavioral pediatrics, psychiatric nursing (which may include master’s and doctoral level programs), social work, school social work, SUD prevention and treatment, marriage and family therapy, occupational therapy, school counseling, or professional counseling, including such programs with a focus on child and adolescent mental health, trauma, and transitional-age youth;
- Accredited doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral programs of health service psychology (including clinical psychology, counseling, and school psychology) for the development and implementation of interdisciplinary training of psychology graduate students for providing behavioral health services, including trauma-informed care and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services, as well as the development of faculty in health service psychology.
- Accredited master’s and doctoral degree programs of social work for the development and implementation of interdisciplinary training of social work graduate students for providing behavioral health services, including trauma-informed care and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services, and the development of faculty in social work.
To Apply: Submit the following (in ONE .pdf) to Limited_Submission@unc.edu 11:59pm, Monday, November 16, 2020.
- PI/ Team members NIH-formatted biosketch
- Project Summary (four-page maximum)
- List of potential collaborators (internal and external to UNC)
- Names (along with title, department, and email) of three internal (to UNC) experts who could speak knowledgeably about the candidate’s research and who could potentially serve on an internal review panel.
- Please do not include the names of faculty named on the project, chairs, deans, directors, direct reports, or others who have a conflict of interest
- Please notify all potential internal reviewers before submitting the pre-proposal packet to ORD
HRSA FOA: Notice of Funding Opportunity