Policy Development for Hispanic/Latino Behavioral Health: An Innovative Policy Academy

Background: Hispanics/Latinos (H/L) account for 19.1% of the U.S. population. H/L are less likely to receive treatment for mental health and substance use than other groups. Many of the states lack appropriate policies to address the behavioral health needs of these populations.

Methods: The SAMHSA-funded Hispanic /Latino Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (COE) launched the Policy Academy to provide technical assistance (TA) to states experiencing a large increase in the H/L populations. Aiming to create a workforce with sufficient knowledge and skills in public policy and to support states, the Academy selected ten high-level university students nationwide majoring in related fields of behavioral health. A curriculum was offered for one month via three virtual sessions and one in-person meeting.

Results: Pre- and post-tests were administered to students to measure changes in knowledge related to behavioral health policies. Students increased their knowledge overall after curriculum implementation (Mean = 5.1 ± 1.52 vs. 6.90 ± 1.59). Approximately 78% were very satisfied with the overall quality of the training, 82% with the quality of the materials, and 78% with the quality of the content. Participants agreed that they had gained knowledge about core concepts (83.7%) and skills (60%) to work with behavioral health policies. Approximately 68% agreed that the training had a positive impact on their attitude toward developing behavioral health policies for H/L communities.

Conclusions and Implications: The H/L Behavioral Health Policy Academy is a unique initiative aiming to establish a transnational collaborative space for developing targeted state-level behavioral health policies for H/L populations.