The University of Montana’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) program has received a $2.4 million grant from the Federal Health Resources Services Administration to support its mission of training students for behavioral health care careers in Montana. The funding aims to address workforce shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities, by preparing more providers to serve children, young adults, and other populations across the state.
Dr. Mary-Ann Sontag, associate professor at the School of Social Work and a member of the BHWET team, stated, “Our interprofessional BHWET program has been impacting mental and behavioral health care in Montana for the past eight years and we are honored to once again be recipients of this award.” She added, “The funding means that we can continue supporting graduate students as they prepare to join Montana’s behavioral health workforce.”
Sontag also noted that graduates from the program are employed throughout Montana in various settings. “The continuation of this funding allows our BHWET team to keep serving both our graduate students, and the citizens of Montana, especially our youth,” she said.
This is the third consecutive grant awarded to UM’s BHWET program since its inception. The initial four-year grant cycle began in 2017 with subsequent funding provided in 2021. The new grant will allow continued growth of Montana’s behavioral health workforce for at least another four years.
The interdisciplinary BHWET faculty team includes members from both UM and Montana State University. UM representatives include Sontag; Dr. Jayna Mumbauer from the Department of Counseling; Dr. Greg Machek and Dr. Bryan Cochran from the Department of Psychology; as well as consulting faculty member Dr. Holly Schleicher.
In its most recent cohort, BHWET supported 21 graduate students specializing in counseling, psychology, nursing practice, and social work. Participants receive ongoing experiential training along with stipends intended to help them focus on their education and clinical internships so they are better prepared for professional roles upon graduation within behavioral health sites across Montana.
For further information about this initiative or related programs at UM: https://www.umt.edu/.
