February 17, 2022
New UW Bothell program seeks to bolster behavioral and mental health workforce
The University of Washington Bothell’s School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS) developed a behavioral and mental health proficiency program last year with the goal of addressing the knowledge gap in mental and behavioral health issues among entry level healthcare employees. The program seeks to democratize behavioral health knowledge by appealing to healthcare workers across many disciplines in order to benefit the overall experience of patients.
The NHS faculty team assessed healthcare workers across multiple disciplines on their confidence and capacity to address and communicate mental health related issues and found that there was a general lack of awareness across the board. With this preliminary information, the NHS faculty created an interdisciplinary program that covers topics such as the effects of mental illness, effects of substance abuse, patient communication, behavioral health literacy and addressing non-compliance.
The behavioral health program has proved to be highly beneficial for both students of the program and their patients. Students report their confidence in handling mental health issues is significantly greater, and they are generally more informed on how to look out for themselves and their colleagues to improve the overall community health of their workplace.
The program was first launched in Alaska due to the state’s high rate of mental illness and was developed in partnership with the University of Alaska. Due to the success of the pilot program, the team plans to expand by introducing the program across Washington state next with the hopes of achieving similar success in providing an interdisciplinary approach to tackling mental health issues in the health care system.