The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals (HRSA-25-068), administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), aims to increase the supply of behavioral health professionals and improve their distribution across high-need and high-demand areas. The program specifically emphasizes addressing the behavioral health needs of children, adolescents, and young adults. It seeks to strengthen the behavioral health workforce through interprofessional team-based care models, integration of behavioral health into primary care settings, and recruiting trainees from diverse backgrounds to serve underserved communities. Additionally, the program focuses on enhancing the number and training quality of clinical supervisors to support trainees effectively.

The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to prepare a diverse and well-trained behavioral health workforce equipped to provide trauma-informed care, substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment, and integrated behavioral health services in primary care and school-based settings. The objectives include expanding community partnerships with experiential training sites, promoting interprofessional collaboration, recruiting a diverse trainee population, and developing training programs for clinical supervisors.

Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of higher education and professional training programs offering internships or field placements in disciplines such as psychiatry, psychology, school psychology, behavioral pediatrics, psychiatric nursing, social work, marriage and family therapy, occupational therapy, school counseling, and professional counseling. Additionally, applicants must provide documentation of their accreditation status. Eligible organizations include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit entities, HRSA-funded health centers, rural health clinics, and tribal organizations. Individual applicants are not eligible.

HRSA anticipates awarding approximately $59,600,000 across 101 grants, with each award capped at $600,000 annually. The funding period spans four years, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029. At least 50% of the total award must be allocated to student stipends and trainee support, including tuition, health insurance, and other eligible expenses. Specific cost-sharing requirements apply to certain doctoral-level training programs.

Applications must include key components such as a project abstract, project narrative, budget narrative, accreditation documentation, student commitment letters, experiential training site details, maintenance of effort documentation, and letters of agreement with community partners. Applicants are also required to outline a plan for trainee recruitment, stipend distribution, faculty development, and program sustainability. The application deadline is January 21, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET, and submissions must be made through Grants.gov.

Evaluation criteria include Purpose and Need (10 points), Response (50 points), Impact (20 points), Resources and Capabilities (10 points), and Support Requested (10 points). Additional points may be awarded for meeting specific funding priorities, such as demonstrating experience training professionals in integrated care settings or meeting one of the three funding preference qualifications related to graduate placement in medically underserved communities.

For assistance, applicants may contact Alita-Geri Carter, Social Science Research Analyst, at BHWETPro25@hrsa.gov, or Nandini Assar, Grants Management Specialist, at nassar@hrsa.gov. Additional guidance, including a pre-application technical assistance webinar, can be found on the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce website.