Evaluation of the Rural Interprofessional Behavioral Health Scholars Program to Expand Public Health Workforce...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Work Education
• Behavioral Health Workforce Development

Background:

• Growing mental health and substance use concerns nationwide, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Significant shortage in the public health workforce, particularly in behavioral health.
• Need for effective training models to address workforce gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a rural, interprofessional, behavioral health training program (RIBHS) for advanced MSW students.
• To assess the program's impact on trainees' competencies and preparedness for rural behavioral health practice.
• To explore the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the training experience.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-method outcome evaluation of the RIBHS program.
• Pre/post surveys administered to 26 MSW trainees.
• Two focus groups conducted with trainees to gather qualitative data.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant increases in self-reported teamwork, behavioral health, and rural practice competencies among trainees.
• Trainees reported on how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced their learning and training experience.
• The program demonstrated effectiveness in building essential skills for addressing the behavioral health crisis.

Conclusions:

• The RIBHS program successfully enhanced key competencies for social work students in rural behavioral health.
• The program's design and outcomes provide a potential model for other public health workforce initiatives.
• Training programs are crucial for equipping professionals to meet escalating mental health and substance use needs.