Graduate Psychology Education Programs - The prevalence of mental health and substance use concerns in Vermont (VT), a predominately rural state, exceeds that of the United States. Those living in rural areas, of lower socioeconomic standing, and members of disenfranchised groups bear the greatest burden of mental health and substance-related illness in the state. These challenges require a large behavioral healthcare workforce with the necessary expertise to work with rural and disenfranchised communities. This workforce must also have training in integrated behavioral healthcare (IBH), especially in primary care settings, to enhance access to those in hard-to-reach communities. Unfortunately, the behavioral healthcare workforce of Vermont is substantially limited, with few practicing full-time health service psychologists. Compounding this limitation, the majority of health service psychologists have limited experience working in integrated care systems that improve access to care. As a result, the demand for services among rural communities is unmet. To address this significant need, the Vermont Health Equity, Access, and Learning Service (VT HEALS) program is proposed. The primary objective of VT HEALS is to enhance the health service doctoral training program at the University of Vermont, the only program of its kind within the state, to expand the behavioral healthcare workforce of Vermont to meet the needs for behavioral healthcare and substance use and opioid use (SUD/OUD) treatment and prevention. The project’s objectives are to: 1) Develop and expand the University of Vermont’s Health Service (Clinical) Psychology Doctoral Program’s focus on IBH, SUD/OUD treatment and prevention, and trauma-informed care; 2) Increase the number of trainees obtaining experiential and didactic training in IBH, SUD/OUD Treatment and Prevention Services, and Trauma-Informed Care; 3) Develop and expand academic and community-based partnerships to provide IBH, OUD/SUD, and trauma-informed care to the communities of Vermont; 4) Engage community partners to leverage local resources to expand training on the social determinants of health for underserved and disenfranchised communities; 5) Provide faculty and staff training to support the VT HEALS objectives; 6) Offer a range of professional development opportunities to VT HEALS trainees to foster their willingness to work with disenfranchised groups, including those in rural areas. VT HEALS will address the behavioral health workforce shortage in Vermont by increasing the number of health service psychologists trained in providing IBH and SUD/OUD treatment in primary care settings. VT HEALS Project Staff will collect program outcome data to determine the extent to which trainees, faculty, and staff competence in these areas grow as a result of this program. Furthermore, follow-up employment data on graduates will demonstrate how VT HEALS has reinforced the behavioral health workforce of Vermont. Through this training, the next generation of health service psychologists will have the expertise needed to address the needs of Vermont’s underserved communities. We request funding priority because our program has a strong record of training psychology professionals for work in integrated care settings. We have placed a high number of graduates in practice settings that have served residents of medically underserved communities, and VT HEALS training sites include those in counties with a low number of psychologists, mental health professional shortage areas, and rural areas.
