This project is a subaward from Baylor University (PI: Becky Scott). The goal of the Baylor BRIDGE Training and Certificate Program, titled “Behavioral Health in Developing and Growing Health Education Training and Certificate Program, is to recruit, train and support a diverse group of social work emerging professionals in evidence-based, interdisciplinary behavioral health practices with youth and emerging adults. This goal includes the following objectives:
1) Deliver the BRIDGE integrated behavioral health (IBH) certificate program that prepares MSW students in evidence-based practices with youth through stipend support, curated internship placements in relevant behavioral health settings, support in internship learning, and didactic and experiential training in the IBH certificate elective course and 4 workshops.
2) Provide an annual integrated behavioral health with youth continuing education series for field faculty and IBH certificate program MSW students with workshops provided by experts from multiple healthcare disciplines focused on some of the most salient IBH topics such as providing quality care via telehealth, responding to youth maltreatment, and how to address substance use disorders in medical settings.
3) Develop and implement a primary care-to-social work workforce pipeline in Texas, focusing on high need community health centers, by increasing programming with current Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) partner. This includes consultation with community health center leaders regarding content and skill-development needed in their MSW/LCSW workforces, as well as job placement support for MSWs who complete the BRIDGE at GSSW.
4) Address the significant IBH Spanish-speaking behavioral health workforce gap in Texas by providing a Spanish-speaking track for students in the BRIDGE program and offering additional stipend funding, faculty support, and job placement support for MSW students who participate in the BRIDGE program and are fluent in Spanish. Dr. Parrish conceptualized and conducted the program evaluation for this project.