Funding Opportunity: Behavioral Health Internship Support Funds

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Background

The Better Health Together Behavioral Health Forum is a self-governing group that works collaboratively to support the Medicaid-serving behavioral health workforce. In 2021 the Better Health Together Board designated $1.2 million of Integrated Managed Care dollars for the Forum to allocate according to collectively identified workforce needs. The Forum has directed $150,000 to support organizations that host behavioral health interns. Full details about this opportunity are included below. To read more about the Forum and its other funding initiatives, follow this link.

Funding Details

Purpose

To provide flexible financial support to organizations in the BHT region (six counties and three reservations in Eastern Washington) that are training the behavioral health workforce through formal practicum and internship programs. By offering this funding, the Forum aims to support supervisors, administrators, clinicians, and clinicians-in-training to better train and retain members of the Medicaid-serving behavioral health workforce.

Please note that this is one-time funding with no anticipated renewal opportunities. Applicants should consider sustainability when planning for use of funds.

 Amount

Each organization can apply for $10,000 of funding. Multiple sites from the same organization are not eligible to apply for separate funding. Organizations can choose whether and how they’d like to divide funding among different sites or programs as applicable. The total available amount is $150,000.  

Guiding Principles

  • Support, enhance, and sustain current workforce opportunities and existing promising approaches.

  • Respond to community-identified needs and priorities. In this case, supporting organizations that are investing in the future behavioral health workforce through internship programming.

  • Qualifying rather than competitive award process. Funding decisions are determined based on meeting established eligibility criteria (see below).

  • Flexibility for partners. Organizations can design their request based on their needs, within the funding parameters.

Eligibility

  • Applicant organization provides behavioral health (inclusive of SUD) services to Medicaid clients in the BHT region.

  • Applicant organization has a current internship program training students in behavioral health fields or intends to start one with support from this funding.

  • Applicant is a current BHT partner organization. This includes organizations with contract(s), project-specific agreement(s), or carve-out agreement(s) in good standing currently or in the last two years; recipients of Behavioral Health Forum funding in the last two years (includes supervision support contract and SUDP alternative certification); BHT Collaborative or Forum members with signed MOU or management agreements; and/or organizations with representatives serving on a BHT technical council or Board of Directors.

Process and Timeline

  1. Rolling application process beginning in September 2023 and continuing while funds remain available. Organizations are required to submit a full proposal that identifies needs, explains the project plan including timeline, and outlines the use of funds.

  2. BHT will review applications within four weeks of receipt and then communicate next steps to applicants, which may include the following: confirming eligibility, screening to ensure that the project proposal fits with the purpose of the funds, approval and beginning of funding agreement paperwork, or adjustments to the proposal.

  3. Funded organizations will enter an agreement with BHT to receive funds, which will include reporting on use of funds and outputs/outcomes.

  4. Requested funds can be used over a timeline of up to two years from the start of the funding agreement.

Areas for Fund Requests

Funds can be requested to support behavioral health internship needs as defined by the applicant. Potential areas of funding include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Stipends for behavioral health interns in a setting serving Medicaid clients

  • Offsetting lost billable hours for intern supervisors

  • Funding staff time to develop a new internship program or build relationships with educational institutions

Fund cannot be used for the following (not an exhaustive list):

  • Reimbursement for services provided or internships prior to the start date of the contract

  • Payment for services billable under Medicaid, Medicare, or other insurance

  • Lobbying or other legislative activity

  • Activities/projects that do not fit with the purpose and guiding principles of this funding

Payment Structure

  • 50% of funding up-front upon contract signing

  • 50% of funding for completing six-month reporting

  • Annual and end-reporting required but not tied to funds

Reporting

  • Brief written reporting, including budget with narrative, is required at six months and annually for the life of the contract (two years or until funding is spent, whichever comes first).

  • Final reporting must include information about intern-to-employee conversion and changes over time attributed to use of funds (e.g. ability to attract more interns, intern satisfaction, supervisor satisfaction / interest in working with interns). Reporting may include information about post-internship employment.

Documentation if awarded

Organizations who are awarded funding will be asked to provide the following documentation as part of the contracting process:

  • W-9

  • IRS Determination Letter (applicable for nonprofit organizations)

  • Copy of current Certificate of Insurance (BHT does NOT need to be named as an additional insured entity)

  • Consent to Public Statements (this document is signed alongside the contract and is consent for both parties to name each other when talking about the funding opportunity)

Note: This documentation is part of an updated process to support BHT in our annual single audit. Thank you!

Before You Apply

Please use the rolling timeline as an opportunity to get specific about your planning before applying. We want to give you time to put together a thoughtful proposal that will be positively impact your organization’s internship programming and enhance the behavioral health workforce in our region. As stated above, this is one-time funding with no anticipated renewal opportunities. Applicants should should take this into consideration when planning for use of funds. Your Request for Funds should be a plan, not just general intent. BHT may ask for additional details following our review of your application.

 We ask for specificity for the following reasons:

  • The Behavioral Health Forum’s focus for these dollars is on workforce retention and expansion, and we want to ensure that funds are used to support these efforts.

  • We want to use the specific costs and needs you identify to share the impact of these dollars region-wide and advocate for meaningful investment in the behavioral health workforce.

  • BHT is accountable for reporting on how Integrated Managed Care dollars are used.

Application

Apply online by clicking the button below.
Please not that you will need to upload a completed this Budget Template [click to download] to the application form.

Application Materials

  • PDF of application – for reference. Please submit final application via the “Apply” button above.

  • PDF of Budget Template - for reference. Please use the “Budget Template” link above to download the template in a fillable excel format.

Have questions or need support? Contact Hannah Klaassen, BHT Program Manager: Hannah@BetterHealthTogether.org.