Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Paraprofessionals

For programmatic or technical assistance questions:
Nicole M. Wilkerson
301.443.6752
BHWETPara25@hrsa.gov

For business, administrative, or fiscal questions:
Vanessa Prosper
301.443.0377
BHWETPara25@hrsa.gov

The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Paraprofessionals provides funding to develop and expand experiential training opportunities, such as field placements and internships, to increase the supply of students preparing to become peer support specialists and other behavioral health-related paraprofessionals. The program emphasizes relationships with community-based partners to increase access to quality behavioral health services across the lifespan in high need and high demand areas. Special focus is placed on demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the specific concerns for children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth who are at risk for behavioral health disorders.

Under this program, training will be separated into two levels:

• Level I Pre-Service, which includes didactic and experiential field training
• Level II In-Service, which includes training at a registered Department of Labor apprenticeship site

Applicants are not required to implement Level II in their proposals to be considered eligible for this program.

Overall program goals are to:

• Establish relationships with community-based partners to expand and improve access to behavioral health services in high need and high demand areas
• Promote collaborative training using team-based models of care in integrated and interprofessional behavioral health and primary care settings
• Recruit a workforce interested in working with children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth in high need communities

Eligible applicants include:

• Public and private institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits with or without a 501(c)(3) IRS status
• Hospitals
• HRSA-funded health centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
• Rural Health Clinics
• Other community-based clinical settings
• State, county, city, township, and special district governments
• Domestic faith-based and community-based organizations
• Tribes and tribal organizations

Level I Pre-Service Training award ceiling: $350,000 per year
Combined Level I Pre-Service and Level II In-Service Training award ceiling: $500,000 per year
Project period: 4 years
Estimated number of awards: 29
Estimated total program funding: $10,900,000

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.