The Graduate and Professional Studies Counseling Program at Waynesburg University was recently awarded a four-year grant totaling more than $1 million from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to support the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals.
The BHWET program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,069,240 over a four-year period from 2021 to 2025 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The award for the first year is $198,485.
The BHWET program provides eligible students with a $10,000 stipend while completing their clinical field experience in the grant’s focus area. This program will also increase the capacity for Waynesburg University’s Counseling Program to engage in training and outreach in southwestern Pennsylvania.
The purpose of the BHWET Program for Professionals is to develop and expand experiential training opportunities, such as field placements and internships, to improve the distribution and supply of the behavioral health workforce.
The BHWET Program for Professionals emphasizes relationships with community-based partners to increase access to quality behavioral health services for populations across the lifespan in high-need, high-demand and medically underserved areas. A special focus is vulnerable populations, such as children, adolescents and transitional-aged youth who are at risk for behavioral health disorders as well as individuals with substance use disorders.
Waynesburg University’s Master of Arts in Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
The Master of Arts in Counseling has two unique areas of concentration: Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addictions Counseling. Waynesburg University’s Addiction Counseling Program has been approved by the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) and is CACREP accredited.
The University also offers a post-baccalaureate Certificate in Addictions Counseling. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), the Certificate in Addiction Counseling program is offered 100% online.
For more information, please contact Dr. James Hepburn at jhepburn@waynesburg.edu.
The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
