24 Jun Funding Alert! NEW HRSA Funding Opportunities for HealthCare Workforce Development and Institution Support!

Department of Health and Human Services – Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)

Attention institutions of higher education, professional training programs, and hospitals! The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) – Bureau of Healthcare Workforce (BHW) is releasing brand new funding opportunities. Over the next few weeks, we will highlight the eligibility, purpose, and activities, as well as helpful tips and resources if you are considering applying. HRSA programs provide equitable health care to people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. This includes programs that deliver health services to people with HIV, pregnant people, mothers and their families, those with low incomes, residents of rural areas, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and those otherwise unable to access high-quality health care. HRSA programs also support health infrastructure, including training health professionals and distributing them to areas where they are needed most, providing financial support to healthcare providers, and advancing telehealth.

This announcement features the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training- Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults (BHWET-CAY) Program for Professionals with the purpose of increasing the supply and distribution of behavioral health providers in rural and underserved communities to address the behavioral health needs of children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 16-25).

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include accredited institutions of higher education or accredited professional training programs that are establishing or expanding internships or field placement programs in mental health, accredited doctoral, internship, and post-doctoral residency programs of health service psychology, and accredited masters and doctoral degree programs of social work for behavioral health services.

What is the program goal?

The BHWET-CAY aims to address specific bottlenecks in recruiting and training behavioral health professionals including by providing stipends to support trainees during their clinical/experiential training and by increasing the supply of and training for clinical supervisors overseeing trainees.

The goals of the program are to:

• Establishing training opportunities (i.e., field placements, internships, etc.) for trainees in community-based settings serving children, adolescents, and young adults, prioritizing settings in underserved and rural communities.
• Increasing the number of clinical supervisors for behavioral health professional trainees working with children, adolescents, and young adults and enhancing training opportunities for new and existing faculty and clinical supervisors focused on the behavioral health needs of children, adolescents, and young adults.
• Providing assistance and supports to connect graduates with employment opportunities.

HRSA expects to award 18 grants for up to 36 months with an annual award amount of $530,000. The total available funding pool is approximately $9.7 million. There is no required cost-share or match required. Indirect costs are capped at 8%. Initial grant awards will be for a 12-month budget period, with continuation awards beyond the initial period based on the availability of funds, satisfactory progress, and a determination that funding would be in the government’s best interest.

Projects must include the following components:

• Provide stipend support to BHWET-CAY trainees in their final year of experiential training prior to graduation;
• Develop or expand the number of experiential training sites in rural and underserved communities;
• Recruit current students and clinical supervisors from different racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and class backgrounds, and different gender and sexual orientations;
• Provide training to faculty, clinical supervisors, and BHWET-CAY trainees in understanding the concerns of children and adolescents, and young adults exhibiting risk factors for or diagnosed with mental health and substance use disorders;
• Recruit, develop, retain, and compensate clinical supervisors supporting field placement, internships, and practicums for BHWET-CAY trainees; and
• Provide post-graduation employment support and resources in rural and underserved communities that provide behavioral health services to CAY.

See the full BHWET-CAY notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for details of the required components. Proposals are due on Friday, July 14, 2023.

What makes a project a good fit?

BHWET-CAY projects require applicants to provide proof of accreditation from a nationally recognized accrediting body and that 50% of the total requested budget be allocated to stipends for BHWET-CAY trainees in their final year of experiential training (internship or field placement).

Applicants may apply for competitive preference by aligning with one of the following factors:

• Has a high rate for placing graduates in practice settings having the principal focus of serving residents of medically underserved communities.
• During the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which such an award is sought, has achieved a significant increase in the rate of placing graduates in such settings; or
• Is a new program (any program that has graduated less than three classes) that meets at least four of the criteria listed.

1. The training organization’s mission statement identifies a specific purpose of the program is preparing health professionals to serve underserved populations.
2. The curriculum of the program includes content that will help to prepare practitioners to serve underserved populations.
3. Substantial clinical training in MUCs is required under the program.
4. A minimum of 20 percent of the clinical faculty of the program spend at least 50 percent of their time providing or supervising care in MUCs.
5. The entire program or a substantial portion of the program is physically located in a MUC.
6. BHWET-CAY trainee assistance, which is linked to service in MUCs following graduation, is available to trainees through the program.

What if I am ready to apply? To move your project forward, take the following action steps as soon as possible:

• Review the full solicitation for additional details and project activities.
• Review the HRSA application resources page for guides on preparing applications, eligibility, and the application process;
• Make sure your System for Award Management (SAM) registration is active and be sure you have a Grants.gov profile. You can check your SAM status here: https://sam.gov/content/status-tracker.

What if I need help with this application?

Contact Assel Grant Services (AGS) today! Our team can help with all aspects of preparing the application and managing the grant if you are awarded. If you would like to discuss this possibility, please contact AGS as soon as possible. Julie Assel, GPC, President/CEO, will be happy to talk with you about this opportunity and provide you with a quote for grant services.

What if I am not ready to apply this year?

HRSA also has a variety of other workforce-focused programs available through its Bureau of Health Workforce. You can view the full list (and search other HRSA funding programs) here. Watch the HRSA Federal Agency webinar to learn more about the agency’s strategic priorities, types of opportunities, and insights into competitive responses.

How do I learn more about federal grant proposal writing, so my application is more likely to be successful?

AGS is excited to offer a Federal Agency Training Series in 2023! The series is designed to provide insight into federal agencies beyond the typical reading of the solicitation by program officers and provide details you need to be successful. AGS also offers several on demand webinars on a variety of topics to support the full grant cycle. Check out our website to learn more and sign up for our training newsletter.

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