Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 21 117
The Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Centers - Northern Border Region (HRSA 21-117) funding opportunity is a discretionary HRSA program offered as a cooperative agreement to strengthen the behavioral health workforce in rural communities across the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) four-state region. It sits under HRSA's broader Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), a multi-year effort focused on reducing illness and death tied to substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), especially in high-risk rural areas. The core idea is straightforward: improve rural behavioral health services by expanding practical education, training, and mentorship so more people in the local workforce and community are equipped to recognize, respond to, and support behavioral health needs, with a clear emphasis on SUD.
The program is designed to improve behavioral health care delivery in eligible rural NBRC counties and census tracts by building a coordinated, multi-sector approach rather than relying on any single clinic or system. Awardees are expected to bring together health care providers and systems with community organizations and services that frequently intersect with behavioral health needs. The centers will then use that collaboration to create and run training and mentorship programs aimed at increasing skills and capacity not only among clinical professionals, but also among paraprofessionals, non-clinical staff, and community members. In practice, this means the opportunity is not limited to training licensed clinicians; it also supports workforce development for the broader set of people who often play key roles in rural behavioral health access and engagement.
HRSA lays out five main objectives for the centers. First, each center must form and sustain a strategic network of key behavioral health and community partners across the target rural service area, with the expectation that this network actively supports program design, implementation, and participant recruitment. Second, the center must assess local resources, needs, and opportunities related to the program goal, starting with an initial assessment in year one and then updating that picture during years two and three so activities remain responsive to changing conditions. Third, working with the strategic network, the center must develop and implement training and mentorship that directly addresses gaps in skills and capacity among rural providers, paraprofessionals, non-clinical staff, and community members who support people with behavioral health needs. Fourth, the training and mentorship must explicitly address health equity and stigma related to behavioral health, reinforcing that workforce development should improve access and quality for underserved groups while also reducing stigma that can prevent people from seeking help. Fifth, the program must ensure that trainings and mentorship are broadly available and accessible throughout the entire target rural service area, and that they are well-known, signaling an expectation of active outreach and dissemination rather than limited, centralized offerings.
From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity (CFDA 93.912) listed an award ceiling of $375,000 and anticipated four awards. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates more substantial federal involvement than a standard grant, often through collaboration, technical assistance, or shared expectations around implementation and reporting. The eligible applicants category is listed as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the full announcement. The posting was created May 27, 2021, with an original closing date of June 28, 2021. Overall, the opportunity is structured to help rural Northern Border communities expand a capable, connected behavioral health workforce pipeline and support system, with targeted attention to SUD/OUD impacts, practical training and mentorship, cross-sector coordination, and equitable, stigma-informed service delivery.Apply for HRSA 21 117
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Centers – Northern Border Region" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.912.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 27, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 28, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $375,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Centers - Northern Border Region opportunity (HRSA 21-117)?
HRSA 21-117 is a discretionary funding opportunity offered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a cooperative agreement. Its purpose is to strengthen the behavioral health workforce in rural communities across the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) four-state region by expanding practical education, training, and mentorship with a clear emphasis on substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD).
Which larger HRSA initiative is this opportunity part of?
This opportunity sits under HRSA's Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), a multi-year effort focused on reducing illness and death tied to substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder, especially in high-risk rural areas.
What is the main goal of the program?
The core goal is to improve rural behavioral health services in eligible rural areas by expanding education, training, and mentorship so more people in the local workforce and community are equipped to recognize, respond to, and support behavioral health needs, with an emphasis on SUD/OUD.
What geographic area does the program focus on?
The program is focused on rural communities across the NBRC four-state region, specifically in eligible rural NBRC counties and census tracts.
What does the program mean by using a "coordinated, multi-sector approach"?
The program expects awardees to build a coordinated strategy that does not rely on a single clinic or system. Instead, centers are expected to bring together health care providers and systems with community organizations and services that frequently intersect with behavioral health needs, using that collaboration to design and run training and mentorship efforts.
Who is expected to participate in the training and mentorship supported by this program?
The training and mentorship are intended to increase skills and capacity among clinical professionals as well as paraprofessionals, non-clinical staff, and community members who support people with behavioral health needs.
Is this opportunity limited to training licensed clinicians?
No. The opportunity explicitly supports workforce development beyond licensed clinicians, including paraprofessionals, non-clinical staff, and community members who often play important roles in rural behavioral health access and engagement.
What are the five main objectives HRSA describes for these workforce centers?
HRSA outlines five objectives: (1) form and sustain a strategic network of key behavioral health and community partners that supports program design, implementation, and participant recruitment; (2) assess local resources, needs, and opportunities in year one and update the assessment in years two and three; (3) develop and implement training and mentorship to address skills and capacity gaps among rural providers and community supports; (4) ensure training and mentorship explicitly address health equity and stigma related to behavioral health; and (5) make trainings and mentorship broadly available, accessible, and well-known throughout the entire target rural service area through active outreach and dissemination.
What is a "strategic network" in the context of this program?
A strategic network is a group of key behavioral health and community partners across the target rural service area that is formed and sustained by the center. The network is expected to actively support the program's design, implementation, and recruitment of participants.
What assessment work is required under the program?
The center is expected to assess local resources, needs, and opportunities related to the program goal. An initial assessment is expected in year one, with updates during years two and three so the center's activities stay responsive to changing conditions.
What topics must the training and mentorship address?
The training and mentorship must address gaps in skills and capacity among the rural behavioral health workforce and broader community supports, and it must explicitly address health equity and stigma related to behavioral health. The overall emphasis includes substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder.
How is health equity incorporated into this opportunity?
The program requires that training and mentorship explicitly address health equity, reinforcing that workforce development should improve access and quality for underserved groups.
How is stigma addressed in this opportunity?
The program requires that training and mentorship explicitly address stigma related to behavioral health, recognizing stigma as a barrier that can prevent people from seeking help.
What does HRSA expect regarding access to trainings across the service area?
The program expects trainings and mentorship to be broadly available and accessible throughout the entire target rural service area and to be well-known, indicating the need for active outreach and dissemination rather than limited, centralized offerings.
What is the funding instrument for HRSA 21-117?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates more substantial federal involvement than a standard grant, often through collaboration, technical assistance, or shared expectations around implementation and reporting.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity lists CFDA 93.912.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $375,000.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated four awards.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicants category is listed as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full announcement.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it originally close?
The posting was created on May 27, 2021, with an original closing date of June 28, 2021.
What types of organizations are expected to be involved in the center's work?
Awardees are expected to bring together health care providers and systems with community organizations and services that frequently intersect with behavioral health needs, forming a multi-sector network that supports program design, implementation, and recruitment.
How does this opportunity relate to opioid and substance use impacts in rural areas?
The opportunity is part of RCORP, which focuses on reducing illness and death tied to substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder. The center's workforce development efforts are meant to strengthen rural capacity to recognize, respond to, and support behavioral health needs with a clear emphasis on SUD/OUD.
What is the overall expected outcome of funding a workforce center in this region?
Overall, the opportunity is structured to help rural Northern Border communities expand a capable, connected behavioral health workforce pipeline and support system through practical training and mentorship, cross-sector coordination, and equitable, stigma-informed service delivery.
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