Sul Ross State University’s Master of Education in Counseling program has received a Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) grant from the U.S. Department of Health Resources and Services Administration, strengthening the university’s commitment to preparing behavioral health professionals to serve rural communities.

The new four-year grant builds on the success of Sul Ross’s first BHWET award in 2024, which provided $320,000 in stipends to 32 counseling students.

Under the renewed grant, Sul Ross will receive $600,000 in student support over four years, funding $25,000 stipends for six qualifying M.Ed. Counseling students each year. These stipends will support graduate students completing internships in underserved, rural communities.

The program’s training and service area spans 10 counties—Brewster, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, Presidio, Val Verde, Maverick, Pecos, Uvalde and parts of El Paso County.

Through the BHWET initiative, Sul Ross partners with The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and Preventive Care Health Services to create a coordinated, interprofessional approach to behavioral health education across West Texas.

For more information, email jess.schaumann@sulross.edu or visit www.sulross.edu/counseling.