Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals - William James College strives to be a preeminent school of psychology that integrates rigorous academic instruction with extensive field education and close attention to professional development. The College assumes an ongoing social responsibility to create programs to educate specialists of many disciplines to meet the evolving mental health needs of society. William James College will develop and expand community-based experiential training, such as field placements, to increase the skills, knowledge, and capacity of students preparing to become mental health workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health paraprofessionals. The proposed project will have a particular focus on developing knowledge and understanding of children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth and young adults who have experienced trauma and are at risk for behavioral health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Using an interdisciplinary training model, William James College proposes to recruit 20 students annually (a total of 80 over four years) and place them at field training sites in primary care settings and in medically underserved communities. HRSA funding will significantly reduce the financial burden frequently cited as barriers for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have a strong interest in pursuing further training in the behavioral health as well as a strong commitment to practicing in primary care settings and in medically underserved communities. BHWET for Paraprofessionals Level 1 pre-service training awardees will be recruited from among eligible students who have matriculated or have accepted an offer of admission to William James College. Through this project William James College will: 1. Recruit and prepare 20 students annually (for a total of 80 students) for Level 1 pre-service training as Community Health Workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health paraprofessionals who are committed to serving children, adolescents, and young adults in high-need and high-demand areas. 2. Provide field education experiences to 20 students annually in human services, behavioral health, and primary care settings located in high-need and high-demand areas, which serve children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youths who have experienced trauma and are at risk for mental health disorders. 3. Offer a stipend annually to 20 students who enroll in the program to defray living expenses. Funds will be disbursed to program participants on a bi-weekly basis, according to the College’s disbursement policies and procedures. 4. Offer a Certificate Training Program to 20 community health workers and other behavioral health paraprofessionals annually. 5. Provide career counseling, guidance, and mentorship support to students who enroll in the program to promote their personal and professional growth as well as prepare them to pursue career advancement opportunities in the behavioral health field. 6. Evaluate the program’s impacts on students’ knowledge, skills, and competency to provide high quality mental health services to children, adolescents, and young adults. 7. Engage in continuous program monitoring, evaluation, and management practices throughout the 4-year funding period. Additionally, the College is applying for Priority 1 and Qualification 1. With a long and robust history of training behavioral health students from culturally diverse backgrounds and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to practice in medically underserved communities, William James College has the organizational capacity, expertise and field training partnerships to successfully implement the proposed project and meet its overarching goals and objectives.
