Program Overview

Montana Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training -Eastern and North CentralMontana (MT BHWET East)is a partnership between Montana State University (MSU) College of Nursing's Doctor of Nursing Practice - Psych/Mental Health (DNP-PHM), MSU Billings College of Health Professions and Science (CHPS), and the Montana Psychiatry Residency Track at Billings Clinic.

The partnership's goal is to increase access to quality and culturally appropriate behavioral health services in 38 of Montana's counties in eastern and north central Montana.

Program Goals

BHWET East is led by a team within MSU’s Mark & Robin Jones College of Nursing and the Montana Area Health Education Center. The focus on increasing access to behavioral health services in some of its most rural and frontier communities.

Over four years (2021-2025), MT BHWET East will operate to

  • Reduce financial barriers for 17-19 behavioral health professionals in each year of the project by providing stipends
  • Expand and enhance community partnerships to increase the number of experiential training sites with integrated behavioral health and culturally appropriate care, support ongoing awareness of population needs, recruit and retain participants with diverse background,and provide opportunities for community education, career development, and job placement; and
  • Enhance didactic and experiential training activities by building competencies in integrated behavioral health, interprofessional team-based care, trauma informed care,and technology integration in the provision of care and training.

Program Requirements

  • Participate in monthly training seminars
  • Enroll in Montana AHEC Scholars Program, documenting 40 hours of didactic education relevant to cultural competency, social determinants of health, interprofessional education, practice transformation, integrated behavioral health, and current/emerging health issues
  • Complete an online Telehealth certificate course; enrollment cost covered by BHWET East grant funds
  • Participate in six Project ECHO or approved Telehealth webinar sessions

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Students/Residents entering their final year of the following programs are eligible to apply:

  • MSU's Doctor of Nursing Practice - Psychiatric/Mental Health Track
  • MSU Billings' Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (MSCRMHC) Program
  • University of Washington Psychiatry Residency Training Program - Montana Track at Billings Clinic

Participant Support

  • MSU DNP Students: Final year of tuition is covered through grant funds.
  • MSU Billings' Counseling Students: $10,000 stipend is provided through grant funds.
  • Psychiatry Residents: Financial support managed through Billings Clinic through grant funds.

Training Support

  • The BHWET East team will work with your programs to coordinate and support clinical experiences in integrated behavioral health in Eastern and North Central Montana.