Session: Effectively Preparing Social Work Students for Integrated Behavioral Health Practice with Youth: Evaluation Methods and Results from Three Programs (Society for Social Work and Research 21st Annual Conference - Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth)

The prevalence of behavioral health disorders among U.S. youth constitutes a nationwide public health crisis.  Estimates indicate that approximately 20% of youth meet criteria for at least one behavioral health disorder, with half of all lifetime cases starting by age 14 (Kessler et al., 2005). Behavioral health problems contribute to substantial losses in productivity, and are associated with many other costly chronic diseases (Kessler et al., 2008). The NIMH (2002) estimates over 300 billion in total costs associated with behavioral health problems. Exacerbating this crisis is the national shortage of mental and behavioral health care providers. Estimates suggest over 90 million people in areas designated mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, with almost 6,000 additional practitioners needed to meet the service needs (HRSA, 2012).  These shortages come at a time that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014) reports the employment of social workers in the U.S. will grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2012-2022, with much of this growth projected in employment of healthcare, mental health, and substance abuse social workers. 

Changes in health care policy and service delivery have led to expansion of integrated health services. This shift moves away from fragmented health care delivery toward the development of integrated care models that rely on collaboration among interprofessional health teams. To be successful in newly emerging healthcare positions, social work graduates must be trained in skills for integrated health delivery and interprofessional team practice.  Recognizing this need, federal funding efforts implemented through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have encouraged social work programs to develop innovative training models focused on preparing graduates for practice in integrated health. In 2014, HRSA awarded 62 MSW programs with Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) grants.  The funding specifically supports preparing students to work with children, adolescents, and transitional age youth in integrated health settings.  This symposium will present evaluation designs and initial results from three BHWET-funded programs.

The first paper, Preparing Students for Behavioral Health Practice with Youth through a HRSA-funded Graduate Certificate Program, presents mixed-method evaluation results from the first cohort (n=19) to complete the Graduate Certificate in Integrated Mental and Behavioral Health, as funded under a 2014 BHWET grant. Results highlight the program’s focus on leadership development and professional relationship building as key components of program success. 

The second paper, Training for Transitions: Preparedness for Behavioral Health Social Workers, discusses the results of a HRSA-funded MSW training program evaluation in the Southeast. This initiative required that students complete a year-long behavioral health integrative seminar and behavioral health field placement. This project was supervised by a community advisory panel. Evaluation results from the first cohort (n=6) suggest that this program can improve student interprofessional team skills and behavioral health competencies.

The final paper, MSW Students as Interprofessional Team-Members: Knowledge, Attitudes, Barriers and Facilitating Factors, presents results of a HRSA-funded MSW training program that demonstrates measurable improvements in perceived team skills among trainees (n=23) as compared to a control group. Barriers to interprofessional team care are also explored.