Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals
This grant funds community-based training for mental health paraprofessionals, focusing on trauma-informed care for youth and collaboration in integrated settings.
Funder: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Due Dates: April 1, 2025 (Final Application Deadline)
Funding Amounts: Estimated total program funding: $10,900,000; Award ceiling and floor not specified.
Summary: Supports community-based experiential training to prepare mental health paraprofessionals with a focus on trauma-informed care for youth and interprofessional collaboration.
Key Information: Training includes Level 1 (pre-service) and optional Level 2 (in-service apprenticeship); Level 2 implementation can earn additional evaluation points.
Description
The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Paraprofessionals aims to develop and expand community-based experiential training opportunities such as field placements and internships. The goal is to increase the skills, knowledge, and capacity of students preparing to become mental health workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health paraprofessionals.
This program places special emphasis on understanding 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. It also promotes educational support and developmental opportunities in interprofessional collaboration through team-based care models in integrated behavioral health and primary care settings. This approach is intended to improve the distribution of a well-trained behavioral health workforce.
Training under this program is divided into two levels:
- Level 1: Pre-service training — Includes didactic instruction and experiential field training.
- Level 2: In-service training (optional) — Training conducted at a registered Department of Labor apprenticeship site.
Level 2 training is optional and not required for eligibility. However, applicants who include Level 2 apprenticeship training in their proposals can receive an additional 5 points in the evaluation criteria related to response and approach.
The program also focuses on recruiting a workforce interested in serving high-need and high-demand areas.
