Emory Nursing receives $2 million for community-based program to bolster youth behavioral health workforce

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing a $2 million grant over four years to support the launch of the Georgia: Understanding Risk Reduction to Optimize Childhood, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood Program.

This program, initiated by School of Nursing Associate Dean for Education Beth Ann Swan, will equip trainees to become behavioral health paraprofessionals through innovative, community-based partnerships - expanding the current behavioral health workforce for young people and sparking student interest in long-term behavioral health careers.

Subject matter experts from the School of Nursing and other collaborators will lead both online and in-person training sessions, including simulations. The curriculum will focus on supporting children, youth and young adults in high-need communities who have experienced trauma and are at risk for behavioral health challenges such as anxiety, depression and substance use disorders.

The Technical College System of Georgia will recruit early childhood education, health and social work assistance programs students to participate in the program. Community partners - including the Family Health Centers of Georgia, CHRIS 180 Mental Health and Family Services in Atlanta, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Georgia and Odyssey Family Counseling Center in College Park - will provide hands-on field placements designed to strengthen their skills as behavioral health paraprofessionals.

"Addressing youth mental health is a complicated, multifaceted issue, and a combined effort is needed to bring about sustained change," says Emory School of Nursing Associate Clinical Professor Quyen Phan, who will lead the partnerships for the project. "I am pleased that Emory, our technical college colleagues and our community partners are joining together on this effort."

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation (2021), 44% of Georgia high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless - higher than the national average of 42%. In 2024, Georgia ranked 47th out of 51 in mental health access and 41st out of 50 in youth mental health treatment for ages 12-17 (Mental Health America, HRSA MCH, America's Health Rankings, 2022-23).

"As vulnerable youth populations in Georgia face mounting mental health challenges, this program represents a critical step toward bolstering the behavioral health workforce who can support them," Swan says. "The short- and long-term possibilities for this project provide encouragement that we can tackle youth mental health head-on and create positive change."

This program is supported by the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals Grant # M02HP55237, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2 million. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

About the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing 

As one of the nation's top nursing schools, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University is committed to educating visionary nurse leaders and scholars. Home to the No. 1 master's, No. 1 BSN, and No. 8 DNP programs nationwide, the school offers undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and non-degree programs, bringing together cutting-edge resources, distinguished faculty, top clinical experiences and access to leading health care partners to shape the future of nursing and impact the world's health and well-being. Learn more at nursing.emory.edu.