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HRSA: Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals (US)

Deadline: 20-Mar-25

Applications are now open for BHWET Program for Paraprofessionals to develop and expand community-based experiential training such as field placements and internships to increase the skills, knowledge and capacity of students preparing to become mental health workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health paraprofessionals.

The program has a special focus on developing knowledge and understanding of the needs of children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth who have experienced trauma and are at risk for behavioral health disorders including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder. The program also emphasizes developmental opportunities and educational support in interprofessional collaboration by using team-based care in integrated behavioral health and primary care settings to improve the distribution of a well-trained behavioral health workforce. The program also aims to recruit a workforce that is interested in serving high need and high demand areas. For the purpose of this NOFO, all training will be separated into two levels:

For the purpose of this NOFO, all training will be separated into two levels:

  • Level 1: Pre-service: Includes didactic and experiential field training.
  • Level 2: In-service (optional): Training at a registered Department of Labor apprenticeship site.
Goal
  • Develop and expand community-based experiential training to increase the skills and knowledge of individuals preparing to become mental health workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health paraprofessionals.
Objectives
  • Establish and enhance relationships with community-based partners to expand and improve access to quality behavioral health services in high need and high demand areas.
  • Promote collaborative training by using team-based models of care in integrated or interprofessional behavioral health and primary care settings.
  • Recruit a workforce interested in working with children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth in high need communities.
Funding Information
  • Estimated Total Program Funding: $10,900,000
  • Funding range per award (including both direct and indirect costs):
    • Up to $350,000 per year for programs only implementing Level 1: Pre-servicetraining.
    • Up to $500,000 per year for programs implementing Level 1: Pre-service and Level2: In-service training.
  • They plan to fund awards in four 12-month budget periods for a total 4-year period of performance of September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2029.
Eligible Projects
  • These types of domestic organizations may apply, if otherwise eligible. Domestic means located in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau:
    • Public institutions of higher education
    • Private institutions of higher education
      • These may include universities, community colleges and technical schools, which must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • Nonprofits with or without a 501(c)(3) IRS status
  • Faith-based and community-based organizations
  • 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
  • Native American tribal governments
  • Native American tribal organizations
  • Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Paraprofessionals award recipients with funding that ends on August 31, 2025 can apply as a “Competing Continuation” applicant, so long as there is not a change in scope.
Eligibility Criteria
  • You can apply if you are a state-licensed mental health nonprofit or state-licensed mental health for-profit organization. Such state licensed organizations include government agencies or other organizations within a state that are legally permitted to offer training programs related to mental health and substance abuse treatment, such as a state-run mental health department, a public university with a psychology program, or a county-level behavioral health agency that is officially designated to provide such training. Eligible entities may also be academic institutions, such as universities, community colleges, technical schools, and domestic faith-based and community-based organizations.
  • Your training program must be either:
    • Accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education,
    • Approved by a state or tribal government to provide a behavioral health-related training program.
  • You must provide a copy of your active accreditation or active approval from state government as Attachment 1.
  • They will not consider any application that fails to submit active accreditation or active approval from state government as Attachment 1.
  • You must maintain your accreditation or state approval status throughout the period of performance and notify them of any change in status.
  • To receive support under this program, a trainee must be one of the following:
    • A U.S. citizen or non-citizen national.
    • An individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States.
    • Any other “qualified alien” under section 431(b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-193, as amended.
Application Requirements
  • Briefly describe the purpose of your project.
  • Briefly describe the behavioral health workforce needs of the local community, including the patient populations served at the Level 1 pre-service and Level 2 in-service training sites (as applicable).
  • Describe the services that trainees will provide to address these needs.
  • Include the efforts you will make to address the non-academic barriers to trainee’s access to education and success in your program. Trainees include students and program participants. These barriers might include:
    • Physical and mental health
    • Psychological health
    • Physical environment
    • Social environment
    • Gaps in foundational knowledge
    • Economic stability
  • Access to services (for example, transportation, career development, and accessibility services)
  • Propose an actionable framework that targets learning disparities and expands learning opportunities to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. This framework may include recruitment of students in high need and high demand areas.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.