Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)

Cupola atop a building on the Molloy University campus

HRSA - BHWET Grant Opportunity for Students!

HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals

Molloy University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Department was awarded a $1.16 million HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals grant for a four-year period, 2021-2025. Funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, C5: Changing Communities through Compassionate Counseling Children and Youth Program, will increase the number of well-trained practitioners in our Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and expand partnerships with healthcare providers to serve vulnerable children and transitional-age youth in high-need, high-demand communities.

The grant is focused specifically on addressing environmental conditions that contribute to gaps in the delivery of mental health services to children, youth, and families, addressing the gaps in service to immigrant populations in NY and incorporating evidence-based practices and treatment models to address trauma related mental health issues. Our annual HRSA Workshop Series targets these goals by providing workshops to the behavioral health workforce to help close the education/skill gaps.

Additionally, a portion of the grant funding provides 70 graduate students in both Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Psychiatric Nursing a $10,000 stipend when serving these vulnerable populations and working to further enhance their cultural competence as clinicians/practitioners.

Grant Goals

  • Helping to decrease mental health shortages.
  • Addressing environmental conditions that contribute to gaps in the delivery of mental health services to children, youth, and families.
  • Establishing new collaborations and training sites among a diverse group of public and private providers
  • Utilizing telehealth technology, distance learning opportunities, and remote clinician supervision to address gaps in the delivery of behavioral health services.
  • Addressing the gaps in service to immigrant populations in NY.
  • incorporating evidence-based practices and treatment models to address trauma related mental health issues.
  • Addressing substance use disorder in the target population.
  • Revising curriculum better suited to the target population and improving cultural sensitivity training.
  • Attracting and training trainees from different racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds.
  • Exposing CMHC students to working in Medically Underserved Communities (MUC)s, with interdisciplinary teams in integrated care settings.

  • CMHC Student Opportunities

    • $10K stipend when interning at a HRSA approved site
    • Free access to BHWET trainings and workshops and Symposiums with nationally and internationally recognized experts in the mental health field
    • Opportunities to complete internships in high need under-resourced sites
    • Opportunities to collaborate on trainings and workshops for the community and grant partners
    • In addition to the student stipend awards, the HRSA grant provides salary support for faculty and staff, and funds to compensate clinical site facilitators to host and facilitate workshops and in-service training sessions on the mental health needs of diverse youth and their families.
    •  Collaboration Opportunities with professionals and graduate students from other disciplines

  • HRSA Partnership Program

    HRSA Partnership Program

    Molloy University proactively seeks to expand partnerships and collaborate across the community. Our BHWET grant enables us to provide enhanced benefits to partners and their extended teams.

    Based on the type of partnership your organization qualifies for benefits can include:

    · Access to our free, live/virtual Annual HRSA Workshop Series

    · Access to our free, live/virtual Annual Intimate Partner Violence training

    · A seat on our HRSA Advisory Board

    · Placement and/or access in/to our HRSA Partnership Directory

    · BHE-TAC membership (free trainings, resources and more for members only)

     

    We are actively seeking new partnerships. If you or your organization are interested in collaborating with us and expanding your reach, please contact us to schedule an introductory call.

  • Annual HRSA Workshop Series

    Annual HRSA Workshop Series

     

    Every September we kick off our Annual HRSA Workshop Series which includes a variety of live virtual workshops for those working in the behavioral health workforce and/or working as clinical supervisors and/or with children, adolescents and their families.

     

    Workshops are centered around various topics that prepare clinicians and clinical supervisors to better serve the mental health needs of children, adolescents and transitional-age youth in medically underserved communities.

     

    Attendance is free! If you are a student or a member of a current partnership program and would like to be notified of future workshops, please scan the code below.

     

    You do not have to be a Molloy University student to attend. We welcome all students in all disciplines that work with the mental health of children, adolescents and their families.

     

    Past Session Topics and Speakers

    · Basics of Trauma Treatment with Diverse Youth/ Dr. Laura Wood

    · Expressive Therapy Techniques for Youth/ Dr. Laura Wood

    · Using Reality Therapy to Support At-Promise Youth and Families in Under-Resourced Communities/ Dr. Ebony White

    · A Youth-friendly Approach to Substance Use Issues Amongst Homeless Youth: Keeping up with the times/ Shauna Ferrese, LMHC

    · Using Reality Therapy to Support At-Promise Youth & Families in Under-Resourced Communities: A Deeper Dive/ Dr. Ebony White

    · Providing Culturally Responsive Care for LGBTQ Youth and their families/ Dr. Thomas Freese

    · Addressing Immigration & Refugee Trauma in Latinx Youth/ Dr. Javier Rosado

  • HRSA Partnership Directory

    HRSA Partnership Directory

    Our HRSA Partnership Directory provides a list of organizations who have been identified as powerful allies throughout our journey on the C5: Changing Communities through Compassionate Counseling Children & Youth.

    We encourage you to reach out to these organizations directly or contact our team who can assist in connecting you with the appropriate party.

    HRSA Partnership Directory

HRSA Contact

Laura Kestemberg, HRSA-BHWET Director

Clinical Mental Health Department Molloy University

Nicole Lara, HRSA-BHWET Project Coordinator

Clinical Mental Health Department Molloy University