Behavioral health workforce education and training program for paraprofessionals - wellness equity institute (WEI) proposes to develop and implement a new level 1 community-based behavioral health…

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals awarded Wellness and Equity Foundation, Inc. $350,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Grants program (CFDA 93.732).

Wellness Equity Institute will develop and implement a Level 1 community-based behavioral health paraprofessional training program that prepares culturally responsive lay counselors and community health workers to serve children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth experiencing trauma and homelessness in medically underserved communities. The program combines didactic instruction, online skills-based learning, and structured field-based experiential training. Trainees will gain practical competencies in trauma-informed care, family engagement, crisis intervention, and interprofessional collaboration while receiving stipends, mentorship, and academic coaching to support retention and success. The curriculum is intentionally designed to incorporate the lived experience of consumers and families, train paraprofessionals to work in partnership with families and caregivers, and promote culturally responsive, family-centered behavioral health support.

The program operates in partnership with College of the Desert, Lay Counselor Institute, and the USC Keck School of Medicine. Performance takes place in Palm Springs, California, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029.

Behavioral health workforce education and training program for paraprofessionals - wellness equity institute (WEI) proposes to develop and implement a new level 1 community-based behavioral health paraprofessional training program that prepares culturally responsive lay counselors and community health workers to serve children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth experiencing trauma and homelessness in medically underserved communities. Delivered in partnership with college of the desert, lay counselor institute and the USC keck school of medicine, the program combines didactic instruction, online skills-based learning, and structured field-based experiential training. Trainees will gain practical competencies in trauma-informed care, family engagement, crisis intervention, and interprofessional collaboration while receiving stipends, mentorship, and academic coaching to support retention and success. WEI is requesting consideration for priority 1: role of the family and the lived experience of the consumer and family paraprofessional partnership. Our program curriculum and experiential training are intentionally designed to incorporate the lived experience of consumers and families, train paraprofessionals to work in partnership with families and caregivers, and promote culturally responsive, family-centered behavioral health support. This approach ensures trainees are prepared to deliver high-impact, trust-based care in communities where behavioral health resources are limited and family systems are central to healing.