Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program - PROJECT PURPOSES: The Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services (JB) is applying to participate in BHWET Program for Professionals as a new program. Our project will 1) Increase the number of diverse Social Work (MSW) and Mental Health Counseling (MHC) graduate students (trainees) who receive their clinical training in high need, underserved, low-income communities in New York City (NYC) and gain experience working with children, adolescents and young adults (C/A/YA); 2) Increase the number of trainees who continue providing clinical services in these communities after graduation and licensure; and 3) Expand access to behavioral health (BH) services for C/A/YA and others by improving the hiring of well-trained clinical professionals by BH programs that have difficulty recruiting graduate interns and full-time staff. JB’s project will provide trainees with experience working in JB-operated BH programs located in NYC medically underserved communities in the Bronx and Staten Island (SI) that offer interprofessional team-based models of care. JB’s 3 proposed experiential training sites offer evidence-based in-person and telehealth services for New Yorkers of all ages, with specialized BH care for C/A/YA diagnosed with mental health, trauma, and/or BH disorders. At the proposed sites, other services are offered or available from nearby JB programs, including case management; and health screening, chronic disease management and primary care coordination. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: JB will create 25 part-time BHWET clinical internships for Masters-level social work (MSW) and mental health counseling (MHC) students. We will offer trainee opportunities at 1 Bronx and 2 SI BH programs. Two of the proposed experiential training sites are NYS Office of Mental Health-licensed and SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) that respectively provide mental health and substance use disorder services annually to over 2,500 and 2,300 unduplicated, primarily low-income, racially and culturally-diverse New Yorkers of all ages. The 3rd proposed site, JB’s NYC Administration for Children-funded SI Preventive Services Program, provides BH services to 270+ families annually. The sites provide evidence-based individual and family therapy with in-person and telehealth sessions, and in-person group therapy. More than half of the sites’ patients are C/A/YA. Clinical supervision will be provided by 14 experienced program supervisors, who are either Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) or Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC). BHWET funding will enhance training and supports for trainees and Supervisors. A significant partner will be CUNY MSW and MHC graduate programs. JB EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS: JB is an eligible applicant that is chartered and experienced in providing professional training. A New York State (NYS) not-for-profit organization with 501-c-3 designation, JB is chartered by the NYS Regents as a professional training program for BH workers. In 2015 and 2022 respectively, JB was approved by the NYS Education Department to provide continuing professional education to BH professionals who are LMSWs and LMHCs. JB is in good standing with the NYS Regents and Education Department. In 2024, JB’s Training Institute provided 320 trainings to 2,375 BH professionals, including NYS-licensed clinicians. JB currently provides internship placements at its BH clinical programs for graduate students enrolled in NYS-accredited MSW and MHC graduate programs. KEY OUTCOMES: 1) Retain 22+ of the 25 trainees in BHWET training; 2) Assist 90% of trainees who get their Master’s degree to secure clinical service positions in high need, underserved community BH programs in NYC; 3) Support 75%+ of trainees who take the NYS MSW and MHC licensing examinations to obtain their license; 4) Assist 95% or more of BHWET graduates who have a provisional or permanent license to obtain their NPI numbers.
