Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-25-066
- Application submission
- Applicant eligibility
- Accreditation
- Use of BHWET Para Funds
- Experiential field placements (Level 1)
- Apprenticeships (Level 2)
- Funding preference and priority
- General
Application submission
How can I obtain a copy of the full notice of funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is posted on Grants.gov. To access the application, click on the “Package” tab, then choose “Preview.” When the window opens, click on the Download Instructions button to access the funding opportunity as a PDF file. For additional help, please contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.
Is there a new closing date for applications?
Yes. The closing date for applications was changed to April 1, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. ET.
Do all attachments count toward the page limit?
No. The following information is not included in the page limit (see pages 53-54 of the funding opportunity for more information):
- Project abstract
- SF-424 R & R (Application for Federal Assistance)
- For Research and Related Other Project Information and the Research and Related Budget, only attachments to the application count towards the page limit. The forms do not.
- Standardized Work Plan (SWP)
- Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile
- Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) Form instructions
Make sure your application does not exceed the specified 60-page limit. HRSA will not review any pages over the page limit. Refer to page 21 of the funding opportunity for more information.
Where can I find instructions about font size and other format requirements?
You can find formatting instructions in the SF-424 R&R Application Guide (PDF - 636 KB).
If an attachment is not applicable, should we renumber the attachments?
No. Do not renumber the attachments. Attachments should be submitted with the same numbers as specified in the funding opportunity.
Should the program goals and objectives in my standard work plan form be the same as the program goals and objectives listed in the funding opportunity on pages 12 and 13?
Yes. The program goal and objectives must be stated in the SWP form. You may include additional objectives if they further support your proposed project.
Can an application have more than one Program Director/Program Investigator?
No. HRSA only recognizes one Program Director/Program Investigator, who will be accountable to HRSA. However, applicants can identify multiple key personnel in their proposal.
Applicant eligibility
Are federally recognized tribes eligible applicants?
Yes. Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations are eligible to apply.
Are existing HRSA grantees eligible for this grant?
Yes. Existing HRSA grant recipients may apply if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Our trainees receive stipends under another HRSA training grant. Are they eligible to receive stipends under the FY25 BHWET Paraprofessional Program?
No. Participants who are receiving participant support from a HRSA training grant may not receive concurrent participant support from another HRSA grant.
Are nonprofits who are authorized trainers for behavioral health courses by a state agency or licensing board eligible to apply?
Yes. State-licensed mental health nonprofit organizations are eligible. See pages 7 and 8 of the funding opportunity.
Are Area Health Education Centers that are approved to provide behavioral health continuing education training eligible to apply for the program?
Yes. Area Health Education Centers that meet the eligibility requirements in the funding opportunity are eligible. They should be accredited and must offer a behavioral health training program.
My organization works with several state-licensed mental health organizations to hire, train, and provide stipends to behavioral healthcare apprentices, but is not a mental health organization. Am I eligible to apply?
No. The applicant must be a state-licensed mental health nonprofit or state-licensed mental health for-profit organization. Examples of state-licensed organizations include government agencies or other organizations within a state that are legally permitted to offer training programs related to mental health and substance abuse treatment, such as a state or local behavioral health organization/department.
Eligible entities may also be academic institutions, such as universities, community colleges, technical schools, and domestic faith-based and community-based organizations. See pages 7-8 of the funding opportunity for more information.
Can the applicant be state-approved to provide training on a variety of behavioral health topics, but partner with other organizations that provide the paraprofessional curriculum and certifications?
Yes. The applicant should either be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education, or approved by a state or tribal government to provide a behavioral health-related training program. You may partner with organizations that offer paraprofessional curriculum and certifications, and provide the experiential training, career development, and job placement following completion of training.
My 501(c)(3) organization is currently funded by a state workforce development board for our training program. We do not have a formal accreditation from an educational institution. Can we still apply for this funding?
Yes, if you apply with state/tribal approval. You will have to provide documentation that your organization is approved by a state or tribal government to offer a behavioral health training program. If your state does not provide a formal state license or certification document, you may submit documentation (for example, a signed official letter) from your state indicating that your organization is otherwise licensed, certified, or authorized by a state or tribal government to provide training in behavioral health. Please check with your state’s government to see if there is already a process in place. You must provide a copy of your active accreditation or active approval from the state/tribal government as Attachment 1.
Are applicants required to have a certificate program for paraprofessionals?
Yes. The applicant or a partner organization needs to have a certificate program for paraprofessionals. Your agency or organization should have a process to validate, based on predetermined standards, an individual paraprofessional’s qualifications and knowledge for program completion or practice. Once trainees complete the didactic and experiential training and receive a certificate, they are known as “Level 1 pre-service program completers.” If your program meets this definition, then they would satisfy this requirement. HRSA recognizes that certifications can differ by state and by the type of paraprofessionals.
What are the prerequisites for certificate programs?
Certificate programs for paraprofessionals must be, at a minimum, a high school diploma or GED. The certificate may be applied towards an associate’s and/or bachelor’s degree in the future. For example, the certificate program may be part of a career pathway with stackable credentials that leads to the attainment of the knowledge and skills required at different stages of a career.
Our organization is nationally accredited, but we don’t have a paraprofessional certificate program. We have a contract with an organization that offers a behavioral health certificate program. Are we eligible to apply?
Yes. The applicant should either be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education, or approved by a state or tribal government to provide a behavioral health-related training program. You may partner with organizations that offer a certificate program, and provide the experiential training, career development, and job placement following completion of training.
Accreditation
How does HRSA define “accreditation or state approval” for a behavioral health training program?
Entities must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education or be approved by a state or tribal government to provide a behavioral health-related training program. You must maintain your accreditation or state approval status throughout the performance period and notify us of any change in status.
If you are qualifying with approval by a state or tribal government:
You must provide documentation that your organization is approved by a state or tribal government to provide a behavioral health training program. If your state does not provide a formal state license or certification document, please submit documentation (for example, a signed official letter) from your state indicating that your organization is otherwise licensed, certified, or authorized by a state or tribal government to provide training in behavioral health.
If you are qualifying with an active or provisional accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education:
You must provide documentation of your training program accreditation, or provisional accreditation. Please do not provide only the link to the accreditation body’s website. HRSA will not open any links included in the application. You must submit documentation that:
- Provides a copy of an active accreditation.
- Includes the name of the accrediting body.
- Provides the date of initial accreditation approval.
- Outlines the date of the next expected accrediting or approval body review (or expiration date of current accreditation or approval).
- Provides proof of status if you have provisional accreditation.
- Demonstrates that you are not on probation.
My organization has provisional accreditation. Are we eligible to apply?
Yes. You are eligible to apply. You must provide proof of status.
Are community health workers considered acceptable paraprofessionals for this announcement?
Yes. Per the funding opportunity, a behavioral health paraprofessional is:
An individual who is not a mental or substance use disorder service professional, but who works at the first stage of contact with individuals and families who are seeking mental or substance use disorder services, including substance use disorder prevention and treatment services. This job classification includes occupations such as mental health worker, peer support specialist, community health worker, outreach worker, social services aide, mental health worker, substance abuse or addictions worker, youth worker, promotor/a, recovery coach, recovery manager, recovery mentor, recovery support specialist, and recovery coach or guide.
Can applicants use funds to develop a new program that includes internships? Does the program already have to be in place?
Yes, the applicant can use funds to develop a new program if the program has active or provisional accreditation by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education.
Are tribal applicants required to receive state accreditation or approval?
Tribal entities are not required to receive state accreditation/approval, however, they must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education, or approved by a state or tribal government to provide a behavioral health-related training program.
Use of funds - stipends/tuition support
Is there an indirect ceiling or cap?
Yes. The 8% training rate applies to modified total direct costs. This includes all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards). These costs do not include equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portion of each subaward in excess of $50,000. Other items may only be excluded with approval and when necessary to avoid a significant disparity in the distribution of indirect costs.
Will these funds pay for health insurance for the stipend recipient?
Yes. Health insurance is an allowable cost for participant trainees. You may include trainee health insurance in the budget.
Can I use the program management portion of the budget to support staff or faculty salaries?
Yes. Fifty percent of funding for program management can be spent on administrative and management activities, including salaries. The program management funds must support 8% indirect costs and other expenses that support the programmatic requirements in the funding opportunity.
How much funding can a trainee receive?
Trainees in Level 1 (pre-service) can receive up to $10,000 total, with $6,000 for stipends and $4,000 for tuition, fees and supplies.
If the trainee enters into Level 2 apprenticeship (in-service), they may receive an $8,500 stipend for a minimum of 12 months.
Are hardware and software for participant trainees and faculty allowable costs?
Yes. The purchase of hardware for participant trainees and faculty are allowable costs if they fall in the definition of “supplies.” HHS uses the definition for equipment and supplies in 2 CFR 200.1. The new definitions change the threshold for equipment to the lesser of the recipient’s capitalization level or $10,000 and the threshold for supplies to below that amount.
My organization does not charge tuition but would like to use project staff to provide training. Can I include expenses for personnel in the support costs per trainee?
No. Personnel costs cannot be included in the participant/trainee ratio. All personnel costs should be included as part of the program management portion of the budget.
How should applicants complete the budget section of the R&R form for contractors?
If you are proposing a contractor in your application, you do not need a separate budget form but will have to include a justification in your budget narrative. A separate SF-424 R&R budget form is needed for a subaward/consortium only.
Can we pay for training and continuing education for staff working in the field as an incentive to host interns?
No. Continuing education, other trainings, and related fees are only allowable for supervisors.
Are we allowed to use the stipend funds to reimburse trainees for external training programs that our organization does not directly provide?
Yes. Stipends are allowances for trainees/students to help with cost-of-living expenses. Stipends can be used at the discretion of the trainee/student and are not provided as a condition of employment or to be used for tuition, fees, or other trainee support costs.
Do we have to provide stipends directly to participants?
Yes. You should provide stipends directly to the trainees.
Can I pay supervisor fees in both Level 1 and Level 2?
You can include supervisor costs for any year, but supervisor costs are not charged to the trainees. Supervision costs should be budgeted as personnel or consultant/contractor.
Are curriculum development costs allowable in Year 1 as trainee support costs?
No. Curriculum development costs should be included as part of the program management portion.
Experiential Level 1 (pre-service training)
If we are applying for Level 1 and Level 2, does there need to still be Level 1 experiential field training (internships) during Level 1?
Yes. Per the program requirements, you must provide a Level 1 pre-service training program, including didactic and experiential field training. Level 1 training is required, Level 2 training is optional.
Does this program have a special focus on a particular population?
Yes. There is a special focus on developing knowledge and understanding of children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth (young adults) who have experienced trauma and are at risk for behavioral health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder.
Can our Level 1 and Level 2 trainee activities occur simultaneously? For example, could someone start an apprenticeship (Level 2) and within the first few months complete the Level 1 trainings?
No. Per the program requirements, you must provide a Level 1 pre-service training program, including didactic and experiential field training. Level 1 training is required, Level 2 training is optional. Once trainees complete the didactic and experiential training and receive a certificate, they are known as Level 1 pre-service program completers. Level 2 in-service training consists of an apprenticeship with on-the-job training that happens after Level 1 pre-service training.
For Level 1 training, can the time to provide tuition and stipend support be less than six consecutive months?
No. Per the program requirements, you must provide required tuition and stipend support to Level 1 pre-service and, as applicable, Level 2 in-service trainees, for no less than six consecutive months and no more than 12 consecutive months (or 24 months for part-time students).
Who should apply for a National Provider Identifier?
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “all Individuals and Organizations who meet the definition of health care provider as described at 45 CFR 160.103 are eligible to obtain a National Provider Identifier, or NPI. If you are a HIPAA-covered provider or if you are a health care provider/supplier who bills for health care services, you need an NPI.” Project trainees who meet this definition must apply for and report on NPI numbers to the grant recipient.
Are field placement sites required to be HRSA-funded sites?
No. Field placement sites are not required to be HRSA-funded sites.
Level 2 – Apprenticeship (In-Service)
Are applicants required to tie their program to a specific job on apprenticeship.gov?
No. Level 2 in-service training consists of an apprenticeship with on-the-job training that happens after Level 1 pre-service training. This model combines on-the-job training with instruction and emphasizes team-based practices to attain skills that meet national standards. The model also involves progressive increases in an apprentice’s wages.
You can develop your own registered apprenticeship program or establish a partnership with an existing registered apprenticeship program that has been registered with the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency. Tribes or tribal organizations may request to use the Indian Health Service Community Health Aide Program model of apprenticeship.
I am only implementing a Level 1 training program. Am I required to have 35% of participants go into Level 2 registered apprenticeships?
No. The requirement for 35% of participants to go into registered apprenticeships is only if you are implementing both Level 1 and Level 2 in your training program.
Can I partner with more than one apprenticeship program?
Yes. You may partner with more than one apprenticeship program, but each apprenticeship program must be registered with the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency.
How do trainees enter into a registered apprenticeship program?
Grant recipients determine which trainees will be eligible. The trainees must hold a high school degree/GED and have completed the Level 1 pre-service training before entering into the Level 2 apprenticeship.
What is the duration of the Level 2 in-service training?
Level 2 in-service trainees, is for no less than 6 consecutive months and no more than 12 consecutive months (or 24 months for part-time students). The grant recipient is required to track the apprenticeship status of the apprentice.
Do I need to submit memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with registered apprenticeship sites at the time of application?
No. You do not need to submit an MOU with the registered apprenticeship sites at the time of application. You will be allowed a maximum of 12 months from the date of your notice of award to develop an MOU and submit it to HRSA.
Am I required to register with my state as a Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship site?
You may develop your own registered apprenticeship program or establish a partnership with an existing registered apprenticeship program that has registered with the Department of Labor or with a State Apprenticeship Agency.
Funding preference and priority
How do I meet the funding priority?
HRSA will give priority to any applicant whose training emphasizes:
- Role of the family
- Lived experience of the consumer
- Family-paraprofessional partnerships
Applicants that meet the criteria for the priority will have an additional five points added to the final score. HRSA staff will determine whether applicants meet the funding priority. In order to qualify, applicants must request the priority in the project abstract and provide supporting information and data in Attachment 8.
Is there a funding preference?
Yes. Section 791 of the Public Health Service Act requires a funding preference for any qualified application ranked above the 20th percentile of proposals that have been recommended for approval by objective review committee that either:
- Has a high rate for placing program completers in practice settings that have a principal focus of serving residents of medically underserved communities. (Qualification 1)
- During the 2023 to 2024-year period before the start of the 2025 fiscal year, has achieved a significant increase in the rate of placing program completers in such settings. (Qualification 2)
- Is a new program (defined in § 295j(c)(2) as those having graduated fewer than 3 classes) that meets at least four of the criteria listed. (Qualification 3)
See pages 47-49 of the funding opportunity for more information.
General
Can you provide examples of technology integration?
Per the program requirements, applicants must promote technology integration by providing behavioral health paraprofessionals options for distance learning, didactic and experiential training activities, and telehealth services, and by increasing digital health literacy.
Is there an emphasis on rural and underserved communities?
Yes. The BHWET Paraprofessional program seeks to support rural and underserved communities. It does this by providing additional points to applicants who have their experiential training sites in a high-need and high-demand area that includes rural areas (see page 41 of the funding opportunity). The program also provides a preference for applicants who have a high rate or a significant increase of placing program completers in practice settings that have a focus of serving residents of medically underserved communities, including certified shortage areas for rural health clinics (see pages 47-48 of the funding opportunity).
Is there a minimum number of trainees to develop?
No. There is not a minimum number of trainees to develop.
Where can I find the list of Medically Underserved Communities or mental health professional shortage designation?
You can find a list of Medically Underserved Communities or Health Professional Shortage Areas on the HRSA website.
Where can organizations find help with their application?
You can find tips for writing a strong application in Section 4.7 of HRSA’s SF-424 R&R Application Guide (PDF - 636 KB).
A number of helpful tips are available to assist applicants in preparing a competitive application.