HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Grant

HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Grant

Funder: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Program Status: Active. MSU Denver received its latest grant in June 2021 (article dated July 13, 2021), a four-year award totaling $1.92 million. Five previous HRSA BHWET grants have directed more than $6 million to MSU Denver combined.

Geographic Scope: United States, with focus on Colorado medically underserved, rural and frontier communities

Target Population: Diverse graduate students in Master of Social Work (MSW) Program, including first-generation college graduates and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students

Focus Areas:

• Training diverse HRSA Scholars to deliver culturally responsive behavioral-health services
• Serving children, youth, and transitional-age youth
• Supporting mental health and behavioral health workforce development
• Addressing workforce shortages (Colorado has shortages of mental-health professionals in 57 of 64 counties)

Award Details:

• Scholarships cover most of the cost for the whole academic year (up to approximately $10,000 annually per student based on example)
• Additional evidence-based training provided beyond tuition support
• Approximately 612 MSU Denver students benefited from these grants over seven years (as of 2021)
• Typically supports about 25 of 180 final-year MSW students

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be enrolled in MSU Denver Master of Social Work Program
• Preference for first-generation and diverse students
• Competitive selection process: candidates complete application and interview with faculty and HRSA-specific site leaders

Key Features:

• Monthly training sessions on topics like telehealth best practices
• Community partnership focus
• Emphasis on cultural responsiveness and serving historically underserved populations
• Highly competitive: approximately 100 grants awarded nationwide annually

Application Process

1. Eligibility Screening: Must be enrolled in or accepted to MSU Denver's Master of Social Work (MSW) Program as a final-year student
2. Application Submission:
   • Candidates complete application form
   • Submit required materials (specific details not provided in source)
3. Selection Interview:
   • Interview with MSU Denver Social Work faculty members
   • Interview with HRSA-specific site leaders
   • Faculty and site leaders assess fit and potential
4. Selection and Notification:
   • Selected students notified of award
   • Approximately 25 students selected from cohort of 180 final-year MSW students
5. Award Requirements:
   • Completion of monthly training sessions
   • Commitment to work with underserved populations
   • Academic progress in MSW program

Required Materials: Application form and interview (specific document requirements not detailed in source material)

Selection Timeline: Competitive, federally-managed process; MSU Denver averages nearly one grant award per year

Contact for More Information: Department of Social Work at MSU Denver