Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program - Title: Advancing Collaborative Care, Integration, and Interprofessional Education in Rural North Carolina (ACE) project Address: Hunt School of Nursing, Gardner-Webb University, College of Health Sciences, 315 West College Ave, Boiling Springs, North Carolina 28017 Project Director Name: Nicole Waters, DNP, RN, CNE Contact Phone Numbers: (Voice) (704) 406-2302 | (Fax) (704) 406-3919 Email Address: nwaters@gardner-webb.edu Website Address: https://gardner-webb.edu/academics/colleges-schools/health-sciences/nursing/ Grant program funds requested: $2,162,534.12 Funding preference: Gardner-Webb University requests funding preference for qualification 1, high rate for placing graduates in practice settings that have a principal focus of serving residents of medically underserved communities. The purpose of the proposed project is to prepare Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC) students to practice in integrated care sites with rural and/or medically underserved (MU) populations. The proposed project will (1) build institutional infrastructure to support recruitment, teaching, and learning for a diverse clinical workforce; (2) enhance curricula and co-curricular activities to better prepare PMHNP and CMHC students to work in integrated care environments; and (3) expand clinical capacity for PMHNP and CMHC trainees in integrated care settings. A highly trained DNP-PMHNP and CMHC workforce will improve access to behavioral health services for North Carolinians, especially those in rural and underserved areas as well as children, adolescents, and young adults who are at risk for mental health, trauma, and behavioral health disorders. Cleveland County, the rural Appalachian county in which GWU is located fares far worse in health outcomes and health factors than most counties in the state of North Carolina and the average county in the United States. One-quarter of all children residing in Cleveland County live in poverty—over 50% of black children live in poverty. County rates for poor or fair health, low birthweight, adult obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, and teen births exceed the state and national averages. Cleveland County residents are more likely to be uninsured, have preventable hospital stays, or experience poverty than peers in other counties in the state or country. In 2023, North Carolina’s drug overdose death rate was 22.3 per 100,000 people, ranking 31st among the U.S. states. In addition, Hurricane Helene has significantly impacted approximately 39 counties in the state, which have been FEMA designated for federal disaster assistance. The ACE project will propel the College of Health Sciences’ capacity to meet urgent behavioral health service needs in North Carolina. The organization of activities throughout the project period reflects a thoughtful approach of capacity building, planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability. The enhanced integrated practicum experiences will provide high-quality learning experiences in sites that might not be students’ first choice (due to distance and/or additional cost) without the significant BHWET stipend. PMHNP and CMHC students will be co-located; learning together with preceptors and supervisors who have access to additional resources to provide a high-quality experience. Faculty will participate in extensive professional development, so that they will, in turn, better prepare students, other faculty, clinical partners, and other members of the community to meet unmet needs of marginalized populations, especially those who have or are at-risk of developing co-occurring mental health needs and SUDs. This professional development targets the serious unmet needs of children, adolescents, and transitional age youth, and will improve the collective approach to meeting their needs in the region.
