Graduate Psychology Education Programs - The Catholic University of America (Catholic University) clinical psychology doctoral program seeks Competing Continuation HRSA Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) program support to continue the work of its Integrated Behavioral Health in the Nation's Capital: Interdisciplinary Networks for Substance Use Readiness and Experiences (DC-INSURE) project. The project will significantly expand the clinical psychology program’s capacity to add and enhance didactic and experiential training on the treatment, prevention, and recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs) and opioid use disorders (OUDs). In light of the ongoing, acute SUD/OUD crisis in the metro Washington, DC region, Catholic University will use this HRSA GPE continuation project to expand the reach of DC-INSURE, enabling the partner disciplines to collaborate on innovative, community-based behavioral health training, through: (1) expanded interprofessional training for clinical psychology, social work, and nursing graduate programs, integrating psychiatry and addictions counseling; (2) professional development for faculty, clinical site partners, and the greater Washington, DC behavioral health community; and (3) didactic and experiential learning, and research opportunities to prepare the future psychology workforce to address the needs of high need, high demand areas facing SUD and OUD concerns. Catholic University will award 12-month GPE training stipends of $32,500 to five Clinical Psychology Doctoral students annually, engaging 15 GPE trainees over the project period; match GPE trainees with peer mentors to support their professional development and advancement into behavioral health practice upon graduation; increase all Ph.D. students’ exposure to SUDs/OUDs by revising syllabi for early course work, including four first-year courses and the second-year practicum; support all GPE trainees to complete at least 16 hours of externship training, including at least 25% of training at sites providing OUD/SUD prevention and treatment; establish a bi-monthly Interprofessional SUD/OUD Brown Bag Seminar Series, providing training for at least 13 behavioral health professionals annually; provide research funding to GPE trainees to study SUD/OUD topics; establish three new externship partnerships: DC Veteran’s Administration’s (DCVA) Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) and Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC); George Mason University Center for Community Mental Health (CCMH); and Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Easterseals), providing interprofessional SUD/OUD prevention, intervention, and treatment services; engage 13 (ten continuing and three new) externship partners in DC-INSURE through a project launch orientation, increased communication with site supervisors, and professional education seminars and colloquia with CEUs; support 11 psychology faculty members to attend professional conferences/meetings and complete professional development on SUD/OUD topics; and establish a DC-INSURE Internal Advisory Group with subject matter experts and representatives from Catholic University’s nursing and social work programs to inform program development, advise on curricula, and deepen psychology faculty members’ exposure to interprofessional SUD/OUD evidence-based practices. Funding Priority And Preference: Catholic University seeks consideration under the HRSA GPE program funding priority and for funding preference under Qualification 1.
