Overview
Introduction
Learning Objectives
- Describe the purpose of the University of Washington (UW) Behavioral Health Support Specialist (BHSS) Clinical Training Program Implementation Guide (V1).
- Appreciate the suggested implementation process for UW BHSS Clinical Training Program.
Key Terms
UW BHSS Clinical Training Program: referred to in this guide as the BHSS Clinical Training Program.
The UW BHSS Project Team: referred to in this guide as the BHSS Project Team.
Project Funding
The BHSS Clinical Training Program receives funding from Ballmer Group to explore, design, develop, and implement curriculum for a BHSS in Washington. The grant period is 2021-2026.
Implementation Guide Purpose
The chapters that follow describe the BHSS Clinical Training Program in more detail. We also provide a curriculum gap analysis tool to help education partners conduct a self-study to gauge alignment between an existing degree program and the BHSS competencies. We recommend reading through all the chapters to gain a broad understanding of the program and suggested implementation process prior to conducting a gap analysis. Please reach out to the BHSS Project Team with questions at bhsswa@uw.edu.
Intended Audience
The BHSS Clinical Training Program serves as a catalyst for statewide implementation of the BHSS competency framework in higher education programs. As such, the primary audience for this Implementation Guide are Washington state higher education programs accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), as well as potential practicum sites, potential employers, government regulatory agencies, future BHSS students, and future supervisors for BHSSs.
Collaboration with Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
Per Substitute Senate Bill (SSB) 5189, Section 3 (2023), the Department of Health shall collaborate with the UW BHSS Clinical Training Program and consult with other stakeholders to develop rules to implement the legislation. This process will begin Fall Quarter 2023.
Current & Future Materials
Implementation Guide
This is Version 1 (V1) of the BHSS Implementation Guide. The BHSS Project Team will solicit, organize, analyze, and incorporate feedback from community partners during the Department of Health (DOH) rule-making process to implement SSB 5189. The BHSS Project Team will make updates to the BHSS Curriculum Map and Implementation Guide in response to the feedback received during this rule-making process. We have provided a current list of significant changes in the BHSS Clinical Training Program Updates chapter of this Implementation Guide; all changes will be reflected in Version 2 (V2) of the BHSS Implementation Guide and Curriculum Map, which we anticipate will be available Fall 2024.
Educator’s Guide
In Academic Year 2023-2024, the BHSS Project Team will develop an Educator’s Guide to serve as a companion to this Implementation Guide. The Educator’s Guide will contain support and sample materials such as rubrics, resources, and assessments for instructors to consider incorporating into new or existing courses in a BHSS curriculum.
Suggested Process for Implementing a BHSS Curriculum
The BHSS Clinical Training Program Implementation Guide (V1) illustrates a suggested process for initiating an implementation of a BHSS curriculum, and is organized into three parts:
Part 1: Learn About the BHSS Clinical Training Program
- BHSS role (Chapter 1)
- BHSS Project Team: who & how to work with the team (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3)
- BHSS curriculum (Chapter 4, Chapter 5, and Chapter 6)
Part 2: Explore Implementation
- Consult with program, department, and college colleagues and leadership (Chapter 7)
- Conduct a gap analysis (Chapter 8)
- Reach consensus on continuing exploration of program fit with the BHSS Clinical Training Program competencies (Chapter 7)
Part 3: Begin Implementation Planning
- Identify solutions to achieve alignment between existing program & the BHSS Clinical Training Program (Chapter 7 and Chapter 9)
- Discover resources for planning curriculum changes (Chapter 10)
- Initiate revisions to your program’s existing curriculum (Chapter 11)
Up Next
The first chapter (Chapter 1. Program Description) defines the mission, vision, and goals of the BHSS Clinical Training Program, and introduces the general guidelines for BHSS preparation.
The process of mapping competencies and learning objectives to your program’s existing content with the goal of identifying areas of alignment and misalignment or underdevelopment.
A framework to represent the organization of curriculum components resulting in a cohesive system. This differs from "competency-based education” in which programs are organized around competencies rather than courses and curricula.
