COLA administrators receive grants designed to augment the mental health workforce in Nevada.
Three College of Liberal Arts administrators have received a series of grants from the Nevada Department of Human Services, via Senate Bill 165 and approved by the Nevada Legislature, to create programs that will augment the mental health workforce in Nevada.
Michelle Paul, assistant vice president of Mental & Behavioral Health Training and Workday Endowed executive director of UNLV PRACTICE; John Tuman, executive associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of political science; and Christopher Kearney, distinguished professor and chair of psychology; received the grants during the 2025 legislative session. The lead sponsor of the bill was Sen. Rochelle Nguyen.
The first grant (Paul and Tuman) includes $1.2 million for the development of the UNLV PRACTICE Institute’s Child and Adolescent Psychology Internship Program. This program is structured to fully meet the standards set by the American Psychological Association and the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers. The 12-month program provides 2,080 hours of supervised clinical training, in alignment with Nevada’s licensure requirements for psychologists, as well as those of several surrounding states. The program trains scientifically minded child and adolescent clinical psychologists who are competent in evidence-based assessment of children, adolescents, and families; developmentally sensitive, trauma-informed, culturally responsive intervention; interprofessional consultation in medical and community systems; and applying scholarly inquiry and scientific knowledge to practice.
The second grant (Tuman and Kearney) includes $577,849 for the development of a new bachelor’s degree in children’s behavioral health psychology. This degree program is designed to provide a broad and balanced array of knowledge, skills, professional dispositions, and cultural competencies necessary to promote well-being and prevent and intervene to support the behavioral health of preschool-grade 12 children, with a particular focus on addictions. The curriculum is also designed to support the new state of Nevada designation of Behavioral Health and Wellness Practitioner (BHWP). Nevada is the first state in the nation to designate and license this new BHWP profession. The degree program will also have subplans to enhance Spanish language skills to reach a larger range of families with mental health needs.
The third grant (Tuman and Kearney) includes $500,088 for the development of a microcredential curriculum designed to train supervisors who will work with undergraduate students in the Children’s Behavioral Health Psychology as well as those licensed as behavioral health and wellness practitioners. The microcredential curriculum will support youth-serving professionals by emphasizing evidence-based behavioral health practices and by providing good working knowledge of the pedagogical model and core elements of clinical training in the Children’s Behavioral Health Psychology degree program as well as expectations for those in the role of Behavioral Health and Wellness Practitioner.
These initiatives, along with others across the Nevada System of Higher Education, are expected to strengthen Nevada’s mental health system of care for youth.