The BRAVES Behavioral Health Workforce Transportation program at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) supports student transportation for health-related internships. Grant funding from the NC Healthcare Foundation’s Social Impact Program will help reduce a key barrier—lack of reliable transportation—for students pursuing clinical placements or internships, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Though transportation is widely recognized as crucial for providing patients with access to health services, students‘ transportation needs are often overlooked. UNC Pembroke’s program will allow on-campus undergraduate and graduate students interested in health or behavioral health internships or practicums off campus to apply for gas vouchers. Funds will also be used to offer students online professional development training and conduct a needs assessment to determine the scope of future internship-related transportation needs at UNCP. Ultimately, the support aims to improve access to experiential learning opportunities and strengthen the region’s healthcare infrastructure by enabling more students to complete health-related training experiences.