The Appropriations Committee heard testimony on February 20 on a bill that would repurpose unused federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide training and support opportunities for behavioral health students and professionals.
In 2022, Congress appropriated $2.5 million in ARPA funds to the state Department of Health and Human Services to be used to increase the number of behavioral and mental health beds in rural Nebraska.
Omaha state Sen. John Fredrickson, the sponsor of LB931, said the department returned the money because it was insufficient to increase capacity in the way intended. She said the funding can be used to increase access to behavioral health services by providing internships, practicums and fellowships for graduate and graduate students in behavioral health programs.
The bill would redirect $2.5 million to the University of Nebraska Board of Trustees to be used for Nebraska Behavioral Health Education Center efforts.
BHECN received $25.5 million in ARPA funds from Congress last year to support individuals pursuing degrees in behavioral health, but only funded 30% of the 344 applications it received, Fredrickson said. He said he couldn't do it.
“It is important to ensure that the unused $2.5 million from DHHS continues to be spent on behavioral health as intended,” he said.
Under the bill, $1 million would be used for BHECN scholarships and supervision of behavioral health trainees to ensure they complete their degree programs. An additional $1 million will be allocated to support provisionally licensed behavioral health providers, and the remaining $500,000 will be used for recruitment and retention efforts.
BHECN Deputy Director Erin Schneider testified on behalf of the University of Nebraska System in support of the proposal.
Schneider said BHECN distributes ARPA funds to more than 100 projects across the state, but is currently unable to meet demand. For example, Northeast Community College's scholarship program for licensed drug and alcohol counselors attracts enough qualified applicants in its first semester to expend all of its allocated funds over the next three years. , she said.
“Repurposing these funds has the potential to develop, recruit and retain hundreds of behavioral health providers in the state, ultimately meeting Nebraska's growing behavioral health needs.” Schneider said.
Medical student Tony Lee also spoke in favor of the bill, saying BHECN was integral to his decision to pursue a career in psychiatry. Lee said the center has enabled him to be a competitive applicant for training programs, and that with increased funding, BHECN could do the same for other students and improve the state's behavioral health provision. It will help address the shortage of workers, he said.
No one testified against LB931, and the committee took no immediate action on it.
