Chapter 2: Working with the BHSS Project Team

Chapter Overview

This chapter serves as a reference to identify contributors to the BHSS Project Team, who support the development of BHSS program content including the Implementation Guide, Educator’s Guide, and curricular materials. In this chapter, we also provide information about working with the BHSS Project Team and ways to communicate with the team.

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Meet the BHSS Project Team (Academic Year 2023-2024)
Websites
Virtual or In-Person Consultation
Implementation Guide
Disclosure of Cost

BHSS Project Team

The BHSS Project Team consists of an interdisciplinary group of program administrators, faculty and staff subject matter experts, curriculum and instructional designers, and consulting faculty and program administrators. The BHSS Project Team also collaborated with payors, policy makers, and advocacy groups. The BHSS Project Team has no financial conflicts of interest.

Because the BHSS Clinical Training Program serves as a catalyst for statewide implementation of the BHSS competency framework in higher education programs, the primary “customers” are Washington state higher education programs accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, potential practicum sites, potential employers, government regulatory agencies, future BHSS students, and future supervisors for BHSSs.

The role of the BHSS Project Team is to support curricular integration and identify resources to assist with curricular delivery. Our team also assists with institutional self-assessment and identification of the degree of alignment between existing program learning objectives and the BHSS competencies. We have developed an extensive list of sample learning objectives for institutions building a BHSS clinical training program. These learning objectives are open source and available to all Washington state colleges and universities. The BHSS Project Team does not “approve” programs. Program approval is a function of the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).

Meet the BHSS Project Team (Academic Year 2023-2024)

Administration

• Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, Professor, UW Seattle, Principal Investigator for Ballmer Group Gift
• Bill O’Connell, EdD, Associate Professor, UW Seattle, Program Director
• Savannah Tidwell, BS, Program Manager

Education and Design Team

• Melissa Farnum, MA, Senior Instructional Designer
• Alan Gojdics, MEd, Associate Director for Education
• Sara Ochoa, MEd, Instructional Designer, Lead for BHSS curriculum development

Faculty and Staff Subject Matter Experts

• Patrick Raue, PhD, Professor, UW Seattle, and Co-Investigator for Ballmer Group Gift
• Jarrod Call, PhD, Assistant Professor, UW Tacoma
• Monica Harrison, MSW, LCSW, Clinician Trainer, AIMS Center
• Kevin Criswell, PhD, Contributor
• Annie McGuire, MS, MHA, Clinician Trainer, AIMS Center
• Brenna Renn, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Marian Wilson, PhD, Contributor, Assistant Professor, Washington State University

Consulting Faculty and Program Administrators

• Ursula Heflick, MS, Program Director, Spokane Falls Community College
• Tim Malroy, PhD, Program Director, Centralia College
• Rex Rempel, DSW, Program Director, Lake Washington Institute of Technology
• Claudia Sellmaier, PhD, Assistant Professor, Program Director, School of Social Work, UW Tacoma

Past Faculty and Staff Contributors

• Pat Areán, PhD, Professor
• Juliann Salisbury, MSW

Communication Pathways

Websites

The BHSS website will be an excellent source of information for individuals, groups, and organizations seeking initial resources about the BHSS Clinical Training Program. We expect the new website will be available in late Fall 2023. Here is the link to the website: UW BHSS Website

If the primary website is not available, the BHSS Clinical Training Program page is located here: UW BHSS Project Information

Virtual or In-Person Consultation

The program director, program manager, and lead instructional designer are available to meet with individuals, groups, and organizations as needed to discuss the mission, purpose, goals, and details related to the BHSS Clinical Training Program. To schedule an appointment, please contact us via email at bhsswa@uw.edu.

Implementation Guide

The Implementation Guide was designed for educational partners and is the first step for determining if a BHSS clinical training program matches the mission, values, and purpose of an academic program. To engage with the BHSS Project Team, we recommend reading through the Implementation Guide to understand the scope of the BHSS Clinical Training Program, instructions on completing a self-study, and determining whether your college or university curriculum is likely to meet the requirements for offering a BHSS program. You are invited to send an initial inquiry to bhsswa@uw.edu. A BHSS Project Team administrator will reply to your inquiry and schedule a time to meet to explore your institution’s interest and answer questions.

Disclosure of Cost

Through funding from Ballmer Group, the BHSS Project Team is available for consultation on BHSS Clinical Training Program integration through 2026. Contact with the BHSS Project Team is voluntary and there is no cost to the Washington state educational program for consultation services provided by UW. It is possible that through additional philanthropic or public funding, the BHSS Project Team will continue beyond 2026 to support and develop the BHSS role in Washington state. Additionally, materials to enhance curriculum are provided at no charge to Washington state accredited higher education programs. We are grateful for both current and future educational and community partnerships and look forward to supporting the development and success of the Behavioral Health Support Specialist in Washington state.

Summary

• The BHSS Project Team’s role is to support education partners in implementing a BHSS curriculum.
• Education programs may consult, at no cost, with the BHSS Project Team for guidance in areas such as curriculum integration, course revisions, and assessment and evaluation development.
• All questions related to the BHSS Clinical Training Program should be directed to bhsswa@uw.edu.

Up Next

In the next chapter, we will outline the process for how to provide our team with feedback for the BHSS curriculum or this Implementation Guide.