Infusing Integrated Behavioral Health in an MSW Program: Curricula,Field, and Interprofessional Educational Activities

ABSTRACT

An essential aspect of integrated care is the coordination of medical and behavioral health needs concurrently. This has sparked renewed emphasis on interprofessional (IP) education and practice. The impetus for IP efforts was crystalized in large part because of health care reforms, and federal funding to expand the behavioral health work force. Using an ecological systems perspective, this article describes how one school is preparing a new generation of MSW students to work in integrated behavioral health care using a three-pronged approach involving curricula, field education, and IP activities. Social work education must ensure that new and experienced professionals can (a) understand the profession’s role in IP health care settings, and (b) navigate an evolving and complex health care environment.     

Educating Social Workers for Practice in Integrated Health Care: A Model Implemented in a Graduate Social Work Program

ABSTRACT

This article introduces a curricular innovation, the Integrated Health Scholars Program (IHSP), developed to prepare master's-level social work students for practice in integrated health care settings, and presents preliminary findings related to students’ self-reported program competencies and perceptions. IHSP, implemented in a research-intensive school of social work in a large midwestern public university, includes specialized course work, interprofessional education across health science disciplines, and field practicum in integrated health care settings. Curricular components support stepwise learning and follows the British Columbia model of interprofessional education learning tiers: exposure, immersion, and skill mastery. Despite IHSPs successful development in a well-resourced, supportive environment, challenges facing our profession's ability to develop and sustain training of MSW students in integrated health care are discussed.     

Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Social Workers for Integrated Health Practice: Evidence From Two MSW Cohorts

ABSTRACT

Changes in health care policy have led to an expansion of integrated care models that rely on collaboration among interprofessional health teams. Recent federal funding has encouraged the development of innovative training models to prepare social workers for integrated health practice. This article presents evidence from the first two MSW cohorts of the Integrated Mental and Behavioral Health Training Program funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Twelve students completing the program in 2014 (n = 5) and 2015 (n = 7) participated in evaluation activities at the time of program completion and at 1-year postgraduation. Findings highlight key components of the training program instrumental in student attainment of program goals and competencies. Implications for MSW education and training for practice in integrated care environments are discussed.     

Teaching Note—Meeting the Demand for Behavioral Health Clinicians: Innovative Training Through the GLOBE Project

ABSTRACT

The national move toward integrated mental health and substance abuse service delivery has a significant impact on social work education and necessitates changes in how we train students. To address this need, the Global Leaders of Behavioral Health Education (GLOBE) training project was developed. GLOBE is a student training and stipend program that prepares students for clinical behavioral health practice in integrated care. This teaching note describes GLOBE, reports challenges encountered in its implementation, and provides strategies for overcoming them. The challenges include assigning students to grant-compliant field placements, engaging other health care professionals in the educational efforts, and implementing curriculum changes. Suggestions for social work program administrators interested in integrated care training are provided.     

Social Work and Interprofessional Education in Health Care: A Call for Continued Leadership

A report from the Interprofessional Education Collaborative and another from the Institute of Medicine cite working as part of interdisciplinary teams as a core proficiency area for improving health care. This article discusses the core competencies of interprofessional education and the essential role for social workers as leaders and facilitators of this practice. Educators will learn how to help students discover the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for successful interprofessional work. Specifically, this article has the following objectives:

1. Discuss essential elements of effective interprofessional practice;

2. Present exemplars of interprofessional education involving social work;

3. Identify the roles for social work in leadership, education, and practice in interprofessional education.

     

Integrated care workforce development: university-community collaboration

ABSTRACT

Behavioral health workforce shortages to provide quality care services for children, adolescents, and transitional age youth are well established. This paper highlights the workforce shortage and the need to infuse interprofessional education to engage in integrated care for children, adolescents and transitional age youth with behavioral health needs. A specialized training curriculum to build behavioral health workforce in Nevada was conceptualized and delivered through 10 workshops under the auspices of the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) funded Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) grant funded in 2014. To train existing workforce and in alignment with the spirit of the grant to build behavioral health workforce and existing workforce, workshops were extended to social service providers in the community. In an effort to enhance university-community collaboration, workshop presenters were invited from various units in the University and from social service agencies in the community. Implications of such training are addressed from a policy, practice, research, and university-community collaboration perspective.     

Integrated Behavioral Health and Counseling Gender and Sexual Minority Populations

abstract

Counselors are increasingly expected to operate within an integrated behavioral health framework across systems of care. This critical literature review provides an overview of the integrated behavioral health paradigm, including the practice of interprofessional collaboration, with specific application to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and other gender and sexual minority issues. Implications for practice and research are discussed, along with a focus on concrete recommendations for application practicing interprofessionally with and on behalf of LGBTQ clients.     

Use of standardized client simulations in an interprofessional teaching concept for social work and medical students: first results of a pilot study

ABSTRACT

Teaching concepts with standardized clients/patients (SC) had been successfully implemented in the education of health professionals. Benefits were also demonstrated for social work education. Based on former experiences with simulated clients in medical education, we developed an innovative teaching concept for social work and medical students. We focused on the training of consultations with clients suffering from a serious illness like cancer—with different learning goals for medical students (e.g. breaking bad news) and social work students (e.g. psychosocial exploration and counseling). Both groups should gain knowledge about the other professions tasks and learn to handle clients’ emotional reactions. In addition to role-plays with simulated clients in small groups, the concept includes an interprofessional lecture by physicians, psychologists, social workers, and lawyers as well as a visit on the palliative care ward (for social work students only) and a research colloquium. A formative evaluation shows high satisfaction with the teaching concept. The students underline the realistic setting, interprofessional contact, authentic talks and direct feedback. The SC method and its interprofessional application proved to be a practicable and motivating way to enhance conversational skills.     

Interprofessional Education for Practice: Some Implications for Australian Social Work

Abstract

Social workers work with many other professionals in the workplace and being able to work in a team is both a practice standard for professions and a desirable graduate attribute of most universities. However, student learning about teamwork is often inconsistent and serendipitous, albeit some attention may be given to it as part of field education and work preparation. Students and new graduate social workers usually adopt the teamwork approach that prevails in the agency in which they work and teamwork behaviour is often a result of socialisation and acculturation. Internationally, over the last two decades, interprofessional education for interprofessional practice has achieved prominence in social work curricula. This article covers recent Australian initiatives in interprofessional education and the involvement of the social work program at a leading Australian university in an interprofessional education project. Implications for social work student education and social work practice are discussed.     

Interprofessional education for community mental health: Attitudes to community care and professional stereotypes

Social workers are considered key members of community mental health teams, yet difficulties in interprofessional collaboration between social workers and health care professionals, particularly psychiatrists and nurses, have been reported. This paper examines some sources of these difficulties in terms of perceived differences in models of mental illness, attitudes and values, including stereotyping, professional identification and role clarity. Interprofessional education (IPE) may diminish negative stereotypes and promote multidisciplinary teamwork. A theoretical framework is described and findings from the evaluation of a 1-year programme of interprofessional education for community mental health are presented. These findings suggest that attitudes and values concerning community care for people with mental health problems are largely shared by different professions, but they do confirm the existence of interprofessional stereotypes and of perceived status differences. In contrast to previous research, there was no evidence of changes in stereotypes. These findings are discussed in terms of the theoretical framework and the design of the programme.     

Perceived Continuing Education Needs and Job Relevance of Health Education Competencies Among Health Education and Promotion Practitioners in College Health Settings

Objective and Participants: The author conducted this study to determine college health education and promotion practitioners' perceived continuing education needs and perceived job relevance in relation to national health education responsibilities and competencies. Methods: In Spring 2006, the author invited college health education and promotion professionals to participate in an online survey, using 3 listservs. Of 276 individuals visiting the Web site, 141 participants completed the survey (51%). Participants rated their perceived training needs and job relevance for the 35 National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) competencies as well as preferred training formats. Results: Participants identified the following competencies as those in which they needed additional training: designing data-collection instruments, securing fiscal resources, interpreting evaluation and research results, carrying out evaluation and research plans, and developing plans for evaluation and research. They identified the following competencies as being the most relevant to their jobs: demonstrating a variety of skills in delivering strategies, interventions, and programs; using a variety of methods to implement strategies, interventions, and programs; initiating a plan of action; and using health-related information resources. The most preferred methods of obtaining additional continuing education were attending the American College Health Association annual meeting (67%) and completing home self-study print materials (67%). Conclusions: Collegiate professional organizations should offer a variety of continuing education opportunities centering on NCHEC competencies, specifically those perceived as needed by study participants.     

Continuing Competence and Relicensure

Abstract

The purpose of licensing laws is to provide assurance of high quality service and to protect the public from incompetent practitioners. Safeguarding entrance to the professions by licensing examinations is one part of this responsibility which is entrusted to the professional boards. Assuring the continuing competence of practicing professionals is another part and a major challenge to every board of nursing throughout the United States.

A 1979 mail survey identified 18 states which have specific continuing education requirements for relicensure of nurses. In addition, three states have standards of practice incorporated in the rules and regulations governing the nursing profession.

Mandatory continuing education is a first step in the implementation of a system to assure the public of the continuing competency for practice of the professional nurse. It is acknowledgement, with the force of law, that continuous renewal of knowledge is a necessary condition for assuring competence. However, it is not sufficient in itself. Knowledge must be integrated in performance, which is the final test of competency. Thus, other system components that assure continuing competency must be developed and implemented. These include the identification of standards of acceptable performance, and the development and implementation of measures to evaluate practicing professionals and assure that they meet the performance standards. These measures include peer review, self-assessment, and recertification procedures. Successful implementation of a complete effective system will require the collaborative efforts of practicing nurses, their professional organizations, and the state boards of nursing.     

Interprofessional collaboration in Swedish health and social care from a care manager's perspective

The aim of this study was to study interprofessional collaboration in health and social care for older people and persons with disabilities from a care manager's perspective. The empirical data was collected at a workshop held during a national conference for care managers and through focus group interviews in two Swedish municipalities. The results showed that the care managers collaborated in different ways with many different professionals from different organisations. The care and discharge planning meetings emerged as the most typical situation where care managers collaborated with different health care professionals. Interprofessional collaboration was seen as a means for care managers to fulfil their assignment and carry out their work. The care manager role encompassed role strain, a relatively weak professional identity, and differences in professional status among those involved in interprofessional collaboration.     

Learning About Poverty Through Simulation: A Pilot Evaluation

ABSTRACT

Previous research suggests many health care professionals and students, including those in social work, have limited understanding of the causes and implications of poverty. Effective and relevant education is needed to train health care professionals to relate to those living in poverty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of team-based simulations on student perceptions and critical thinking about poverty. Data were collected from three poverty simulations, which took place at a university in the spring of 2015. Evaluations were completed by 230 students, and results showed promising improvements in students’ ability to think critically about poverty and increases in their ability to understand others’ perspectives regarding living in poverty.     

Interprofessional collaboration between residential child care and mental care practitioners: a cross-country study in six European countries

ABSTRACT

The severe mental health problems of many of the young people living in residential settings pose a great challenge and demand on child protection and mental care (MC) services. Drawing on comparative research and debates from six European countries, this study examines demands for integrated care and interprofessional collaboration practices between residential child care (RCC) and MC. In this article, research data will be brought together from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, the UK (Scotland) and Spain. In total, 61 practitioners from RCC and MC were interviewed. Given the complexity of the residential care service context and service system differences across national contexts, the original hypothesis was that this would differentiate the collaboration practices. However, the similarity between the countries is greater than anticipated. The concluding findings are organised by matrix technique into a content-analytic summary table. The main finding was that in spite of encouragement for integrated RCC, obstacles for collaboration and lack of coordination between systems remain, often related to understanding the professional role and tasks, lack of shared knowledge, attitudes and ways of communication. One significant finding in the cross-country comparison was the evident and unrealistic expectations for the ‘other’ provider to help and care.     

Mental Health Professionals' Exposure to Clients with Problematic Internet Experiences

ABSTRACT

This paper examines clients' exposure to problematic Internet experiences among a national sample of 2,098 social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and other mental health professionals. This analysis finds that mental health professionals are working with clients experiencing a range of problems related to Internet use. However, these professionals have generally not been exposed to training or information in the professional literature on the topic of working with clients with problematic Internet experiences. We identify several areas in which additional training is needed and review practical implications for mental health professionals.     

Chapter 16: Integration of Occupational Health Services in the Federal Sector

Abstract

Federal Occupational Health (FOH) is a federal sector model of the integration and collaboration of occupational health (OH) programs that includes on-site health clinics, and environmental health as well as EAP, work-life, and wellness/fitness programs. This article reviews several aspects of integration at various levels of this public health organization.

The broad objectives of occupational health programs are to promote, support, and provide a healthy and productive, highly functioning workforce to the employer. FOH staff has special expertise and knowledge related to federal procedures, regulations and agency culture, as well as the OH disciplines. With its mission to provide occupational health services to federal agencies and federal employees, FOH has the unique opportunity to provide integrated OH services, thereby providing a more comprehensive approach to the occupational health care of the individual employee, as well as a more comprehensive approach to the health and productivity efforts of the federal agencies.

Although we have made strides and engage in continuing efforts to promote integrated programs and care, a number of additional program enhancements are in discussion and/or in process. FOH is a unique entity and the largest provider of comprehensive OH services within the federal government. It has achieved some notable success with the integration of its services across various levels of the organization with different federal organizations. Efforts have been particularly successful in bringing a coordinated response to various crises and emergency situations. With increasing knowledge and data on the benefits of integration, FOH is working to reduce both internal and external organizational barriers to bring integration of services to their maximum potential.     

Usability Study of a Distance Continuing Education Website for Human Service Professionals

ABSTRACT

A usability test of a distance continuing education website for human service professionals is discussed. The website's purpose was to help meet the continuing education needs of human service professionals in a largely rural Midwestern state. The purpose of the usability evaluation was to assess the website's ease of use, efficiency, and user satisfaction in a representative sample of human service professionals. Users completed eleven basic search tasks with the site and report their impressions of the information presented. In addition, performance data including success, time on task, and efficiency were gathered. Implications of user satisfaction and performance data highlight the importance of stakeholder's involvement in the early stages of website design.     

Being a service user and a social work academic: balancing expert identities

Abstract

I am a service user and academic working in a university social work department. My hybrid identity allows me to draw on different types of knowledge in all aspects of my work, including: academic, practice and experiential wisdom. Service user involvement is mandated across social work education but the scope and breadth of different kinds of participation is developed in diverse ways across university contexts. This article affirms the value of service user involvement in health and social care education, exploring its positive impact on students. When lecturers share personal experience of using services alongside practice and academic wisdom in the course of teaching, sometimes the value of experiential knowledge is doubted and its influence dismissed. I examine the importance of experiential wisdom in social work education, specifically when it is embedded in an academic role in a university social work department, and consider how it can be respected and valued. The parallel experiences of involving peer support workers in mental health services, who use their knowledge of recovery to mentor other service users, are then briefly examined, together with reflection of the concerns across mental health with professionals sharing their experiential wisdom with the people that they support.     

Enhancing Competence in Health Social Work Education Through Simulation-Based Learning: Strategies From a Case Study of a Family Session

ABSTRACT

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is a powerful tool for social work education, preparing students to practice in integrated health care settings. In an educational environment addressing patient health using an integrated care model, there is growing emphasis on students developing clinical competencies prior to entering clinical placements or clinical practice settings. This article highlights the importance of SBL in the development of the clinical competencies of graduate social work students enrolled in a Social Work Practice in Health course. The development and implementation of an educational initiative using a family-based simulation scenario to enhance classroom learning for health social work practice is described, and recommendations for future educational initiatives using SBL are provided.