University of Alaska Behavioral Health Programs

Transcription

1 University of Alaska Behavioral Health Programs Behavioral Health Alliance UA Statewide Health Programs Updated August /07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 1

2 University of Alaska Behavioral Health Programs Behavioral Health Alliance UA Statewide Health Programs Updated August 2007 Purpose... 4 Overview: common elements across programs... 4 Serving Native and rural students... 4 Articulated pathways... 4 Cohort learning model... 4 Distance delivery... 5 Cross-listing courses... 6 Issues and opportunities... 6 Workforce need... 7 Demand... 7 Who are our students?... 8 UA Behavioral Health Program Trends... 9 Issues and opportunities across programs... 9 Partnerships WICHE Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative Nursing Education Expansion Programs Student Support Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing Alaska Natives into Psychology Training centers and trainings Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Training Academy Center for Human Development Family and Youth Services Training Academy Prevention of Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Adults Training Paraprofessional Certificates Alzheimer s Disease & Related Disorders Certificate Behavioral Health Certificate in Residential Services Training Community Mental Health Services: Certificate of Completion Conflict Resolution Disability Services: Certificate and AAS Nursing, Certified Nurse Aide Nursing, Practical Nursing Certificate Rural Human Services Certificate Program and Occupational Endorsement RHS Occupational Endorsement Associates Human Services: Associate of Applied Science Human Services: Associates of Applied Science: campus based and distance delivered 40 Nursing: Associate of Applied Science (AS) Minors Addictions Studies Minor Gerontology Minor Justice Minor Justice Minor /07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 2

3 Rural Development Minor Bachelors Community Psychology: Bachelors of Arts, Bachelors of Science Human Services: Bachelors in Human Services Justice: Bachelors of Arts Justice: Bachelors of Arts Nursing: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Science (BS) Psychology: Bachelors Rural Development: Bachelors in Arts, campus-based and distance-delivered Social Science: Bachelor of Arts Social Work: Bachelors in Social Work Social Work: Bachelors of Arts Social Work: Bachelors of Arts, distance-delivered Social Work: Bachelors of Arts, cohort model Masters Counselor Education: Master of Education Counseling, Master of Education Clinical Psychology: Masters of Science Community Psychology: Masters in Arts Nursing: Master of Science in Nursing Science Social Work: Masters, Campus-based Social Work Masters, Distance delivered Rural Development: Masters in Arts Criminal Justice Management and Administration: Masters, distance delivered Post-masters Certificates Clinical Social Work Practice Certificate Social Work Management Certificate Doctorate Clinical-Community Psychology: Ph.D Licensure/Certifications /07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 3

4 Purpose The purpose of this report is to describe the University of Alaska s educational programs that relate to behavioral health services and management. Overview: common elements across programs The University of Alaska is the premier educator of Alaska s behavioral health workforce, with programs ranging from non-degree trainings and certificates to doctoral programs. The University s statewide offices are located in Fairbanks, which is also considered the research hub for the University system. The vast majority of students enrolled in behavioral health programs are studying through programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA, 77 percent of enrollment in 2005). The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) programs tend to focus most specifically on the issues and strengths Alaska Native cultures. All three major academic units (UAA, UAF, and the University of Alaska Southeast, or UAS) rely on cohort learning models enhance the quality of the student experience. They rely on distance delivery to expand their course offerings to students across the state. The College of Rural and Community Development delivers courses onsite in some rural campuses as well. Serving Native and rural students Alaska Native and rural residents of Alaska benefit from learning by observation and oral tradition. Degrees are not widely valued in Native cultures, and practical skills are more important in village daily life. Students who are Native or who are from rural areas benefit from extra support and encouragement as they move into higher education. Alaska Natives in Psychology (ANPsych) and Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing (RRANN) are two examples of programs that support Native and rural students as they move into degree programs. The RRANN program has an 86% graduation rate for Native students, compared to 33% for Native students who have not had access to the program. Articulated pathways The University of Alaska relies on articulated pathways to groom its students into a series of degrees, each of which permits the student to work at levels of increasingly more responsibility as they complete the next sequence of courses. Articulated pathways start at the paraprofessional level and classes are delivered statewide in community campuses as well as through distance delivery. Articulated programs provide special stature for students who have achieved the next lower level degree. Cohort learning model The cohort learning model has been used successfully in behavioral health programs statewide. Cohort models are used extensively in distance delivered programs, creating an enhanced sense of belonging and support among students living in as many as twenty-seven communities participating in a single degree program. The sense of cohesiveness enhances student learning. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 4

5 Distance delivery Cohort model Virtually all of the distance delivered programs use a cohort model to emphasize a sense of community for students studying from a distance. Students in distance-delivered programs have few or no colleagues in their communities taking the same classes. Students rely on interpersonal relationships to collaborate on assignments, to confirm understanding of materials, and to foster success in each other. Using a cohort model, in which students take the same sequence of courses together, students develop interpersonal relationships at a distance and help anchor and guide each other through the education process. All of the University of Alaska s programs use Blackboard, a web-based education program, to deliver readings, lectures, and communications among professor and students as standard practice. The behavioral health programs that deliver education via distance use audioconferencing extensively, since telephone access is consistent statewide. Several behavioral health programs deliver coursework on campuses in rural Alaska using local faculty, supplementing the audioconference courses. Videoconferenced courses are not widely in use in the behavioral health programs, although they are in the allied health fields. This methodology has been well-used in teaching radiology technicians in rural locations, where students are generally able to participate through a local hospital with telehealth capacity. Still, Alaskans are technology tolerant. As technology changes, the University of Alaska is well-poised to take advantage of it to expand its behavioral health offerings, particularly for rural residents. Web-based education Several programs have begun expanding their educational offerings to students residing in other locations through Elluminate Live. Elluminate Live enables web-based education, including voice over internet verbal communication among multiple participants. Students and the professor collaborate in real time. Each participant has a profile controlled by the moderator. The participant profiles create a sense of community that facilitates social networking among participants. Information may be kept private depending on the nature of the session. Files can be transferred simply, and audio and video as well as application files can be shared. Participants share whiteboard screens, and the professor can track whiteboard viewing to ensure student participation. The professor can send keystroke sequences to remote machines. Students can play back recorded sessions. The professor can distribute students into random or assigned groups for online group work, and monitor each group. Facilitates small group work through polling, allowing the educator to publish polling results on a whiteboard screen for class viewing. The program facilitates communication and collaboration through instant messaging. Faculty who have used Elluminate Live find that it is very helpful, but emphasize the importance of planning extra time to manage the technology. Face-to-face intensives Several distance-delivered programs that use web, audio, video communications rely on face-to-face intensives in a central location to enhance and confirm student learning for courses in which technology-reliant techniques are not appropriate. The University of Alaska Anchorage is working with Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education s Internet Course Exchange (WICHE ICE) to share courses with other universities which offer similar programs. WICHE ICE is a system designed as an intercampus distance course catalog. In the behavioral health arena, the UAA School of Social Work participates in the Western Consortium for Rural Social Work Education through WICHE ICE. The 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 5

6 Consortium, made up of several rural western states master level social work programs, allows each program to offer by distance delivery courses that other universities may not be able to offer on their own. This enriches each student s potential master s experience at every institution. A WICHE ICE Collaborative Partnership is a group of institutions sharing courses and programs in a curricular area. In addition ot the Western Consortium for Rural Social Work Educaiton, there are currently collaborative partnerships in the areas of Supply Chain Management, doctoral-level nursing, and general education. Partnerships are designed to be flexible and to respond to the needs of member institutions. WICHE ICE supports Collaborative Partnership course exchanges by creating a unique space for sharing courses on the WICHE ICE database, providing implementation guidance to campus based teams and sharing best practices. New collaborative partnerships are developed to meet the needs of member institutions. Current WICHE ICE members include: Bismarck State College (ND), Boise State University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College (ID), Montana State University Bozeman, University of Alaska Anchorage, University of Nevada Reno, University of Utah, and the University of Wyoming. For more information, contact Donna Schaad, dschaad@wiche.edu, or Susan Vermeer Lopez, slopez@wiche.edu, Cross-listing courses There are compelling reasons to cross-list core and elective courses across programs from resource and multi-disciplinary practice standpoints. From a resources perspective, it is to the advantage of the University to cross-list. Cross-listing reduces the number of faculty teaching duplicate courses, freeing up other professors to teach other necessary courses. From a multidisciplinary practice perspective, a student who engages across disciplines in the same course may have an enriched educational experience that will serve them well in the practical world post-graduation. Departments and professors across the major academic units have engaged successfully with the process of cross-listing courses in many situations. Cross-listing courses involves a dynamic tension among accreditation standards, academic freedom, and staffing ability. From time to time, however, cross-listing is not possible because of the sequencing of the course in another discipline. For example: Social Work cross-lists with Human Services a course on Introduction to Human Services. This works well because of the sequencing in the student s program. Another is currently cross-listed with the Masters in Public Health but will be separated; this course occurs at different times in the sequence of each program, so students have difficulty participating effectively. Issues and opportunities Not all behavioral health programs articulate, and many have no distance components. Resource scarcity is an issue for several programs. Not all programs lend themselves well to distance delivery, and distance delivery can be contingent on local faculty availability to supervise internships. Lack of clinical placements limit completion of degrees in some smaller communities. Some programs are funded with soft dollars, which makes them vulnerable to a short life despite compelling program need. The behavioral health programs often operate in silos, particularly across campuses. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 6

7 Despite these issues, there are more opportunities than problems for the University s behavioral health education programs. Programs can articulate more clearly, and more programs can articulate together. Several training programs are available but do not yet lead to a certification, associates, bachelors, masters, or post-graduate certificate. When these have proven themselves, they can be incorporated as certificate or degree programs. Support to Native students can be expanded at all levels, and new supports offered similar to the ANPsych and RRANN programs. That said, existing supports to Native students are vulnerable to funding cuts. Workforce need In largely rural states, such as Alaska, there have been historic difficulties in recruiting and retaining an effective behavioral health workforce. The President s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health described in detail the significant problems facing mental or behavioral health systems throughout the country, particularly in rural areas. Indications are that shortages will become more severe in the next decade, and that professionals will need to have new skills to work in a more integrated behavioral health environment. Alaska will face a 47.3% increase in the need for behavioral health professionals by Mental health and substance abuse counselors are ranked 6th among the fastest growing occupations in Alaska. Virtually the entire state is designated as a mental health and nursing professional shortage areas, with most designations based on ratios of providers to population. In terms of actual numbers of professionals, Alaska ranks on average 9.8 among the 15 WICHE member states. The lowest rankings (14 th ) were for Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists, as well as Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors. Additionally, seven of the eleven (64%) behavioral health professional groups ranked between 10 th and 14 th in number of providers compared to other WICHE states. The vast majority of these providers are in the most densely populated areas. Alaska is one of the few WICHE states projected to have more people entering the workforce than leaving it by However, nearby lower 48 states are projected to have deficits in persons entering the workforce, which may require attracting workers from nearby states, including Alaska. Demand Alaska s behavioral health programs employ the range of potential workers, including paraprofessional direct care workers, human service technicians to care coordinators, therapists, clinical supervisors, and program directors. The types of job titles they hold include Mental Health Worker, Crisis Intervention Counselor, Case Worker, Social Service Provider, ICWA Worker, Behavioral Health Aide, Tribal Family Services Worker, Substance Abuse Counselor, Clinical Associate, Family Services Aide, Domestic Violence Counselor, Community Outreach Worker, Social Worker, Counselor, and Clinical Supervisor. As Alaska begins to more fully understand the physical and social needs of its residents with behavioral health disabilities, health care workers are increasingly and inexorably part of the provider mix. Personal Care Attendants, Certified Nurse Assistants, and Registered Nurses are regularly employed by disability service organizations and by mental health agencies caring for people who have severe mental illness. Psychiatric nurses are in severe demand, and the programs that educate nurses are included in this document to reflect this behavioral health workforce area. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 7

8 Over the past five years, the State has been working with the Alaska Mental Health Trust, Denali Commission, and the state s behavioral health providers to more than double the number of residential beds for seriously disturbed and substance abusing youth. The number of new staff required to make this expansion appears to be more than triple the number of new graduates exiting UA programs. This creates a major concern: if we build the buildings, who will come to work there? What is the University s role in educating the incoming workforce? While workforce demand in behavioral health has been peripherally addressed as part of other studies, there has been no single study of workforce demand for behavioral health care needs. The Alaska Center for Rural Health is currently beginning such a study. We have some information about demand from the state Department of Labor, described below 1 : Estimated Employment (2002) Employment Total -- All Industries (2002) 5 Projected Employment (2012) Employment Total -- All Industries (2012) 7 Employment Change All Industries Numeric Change All Industry Growth Rate % 10 Occupation In Order of Occurrence in Health Care Industry Personal and Home Care Aides 1,488 2, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers Medical and Public Health Social Workers Social and Human Service Assistants 1,123 1, Registered Nurses 5,004 6,670 1, Rehabilitation Counselors Mental Health Counselors Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other Medical and Health Services Managers Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors Marriage and Family Therapists Counselors, Social, and Religious Workers, All Other Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists Psychiatric Technicians Psychiatrists Social and Community Service Managers Child, Family, and School Social Workers Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Personal Service Workers Who are our students? In Alaska, for every th graders, only a little over 60% graduate from high school, about 28% enter college, and only 6% graduate within six years. All these numbers are lower than the national average and those from nearby states. 1 Industry Staffing Patterns -- Core Healthcare: Hospitals, Outpatient, Physician & Dentist Offices and Healthcare and Social Assistance Residual. Prepared for the AWIB Healthcare Industry Workforce Readiness Meeting -- February Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Research & Analysis Section 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 8

9 Students who are interested in staying in Alaska for education tend to remain in Alaska following their degree programs; students who leave generally don t return. At the same time students from rural areas are overwhelmingly Alaska Native, and generally have strong ties to family and community which reduce their interest in traveling to hub or regional centers for education. Students in Alaska s behavioral health programs are largely non-traditional. They are older and more likely to work and have a family. Distance delivery, preferably with on-site local support, is a preferred method of education for these students. UA Behavioral Health Program Trends Enrollment in UA behavioral health programs has increased 8.2% since 1998 with approx 300 graduates per year. These graduates will not fill the projected demand. The UA system has 1,538 enrolled students who have declared their major in behavioral health programs. 307 students graduated from the UA system with behavioral health degrees in Enrollment in UA behavioral health programs has increased 8.2% since 1998, but degrees awarded decreased by 16.1%. However, the UA system s overall enrollment dropped in 1999 and 2000, including behavioral health programs, but has increased since that time. For instance, between 2001 and 2003, enrollment in behavioral health programs increased by 10.3% and degrees awarded increased 6.2%. Enrollment increased by 11.3% at UAA and 2.9% at UAF from 1998 to 2003 (UAF enrollment increased by 9% from ). These enrollments mirror the general trends of the UA system as a whole. Degree awards have remained relatively steady or have increased for the past several years after an initial decline in 1999 (e.g., UAF had a 41.2% decrease between 1998 and 2003, but this increased by 15.5% from 2001 to 2003). At UAA, two programs (Counseling and Guidance and General Psychology) have had increases in both enrollment and degrees awarded between 1998 and At UAF, the Social Work and Guidance and Counseling programs have had 44% and 36% increases in enrollment since Figure 1: UA Behavioral Health Enrollment Issues and opportunities across programs The University of Alaska offers training from the para-professional to the doctorate level in series that articulate across at least two programs. Several of these degrees permit the graduate to 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 9

10 apply for licensure as a behavioral health professional. Those that relate only to behavioral health follow in Figures 1 and 2.. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 10

11 Figure 2 UA Behavioral Health Programs: Degree pathways and articulations RHS Certificate, Fbx and distance AAS in HUMS, Fbx AAS in HUMS, Anch Disability Services Certificate, Distance, PWSCC & CHD:UAA Disability AAS, Distance, PWSCC & CHD:UAA BSW, Anch; BA in Social Work, Fairbanks & Distance BA, BS Psychology, Anch & Fbx BA HUMS, Anch BA Sociology BA Justice, Anch & Fbx MSW Anch, Distance MS Clinical Psychology, Anch M Ed. Guidance and Counseling, Fbx MA Justice, Fbx & Distance Clinical Social Work Practice Certificate Social Work Management Certificate Ph.D. Clinical- Community Psychology, Anch & Fbx Pathways are delineated in black. Articulations are delineated in blue. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 11

12 Figure 3 UA Behavioral Health Programs: License/Certification Potential RHS Certificate, Fbx and distance AAS in HUMS, Anch BHA I BHA II AAS in HUMS, Fbx Counselor Tech Certification BA HUMS, Anch BSW, Anch; BA in Social Work, Fairbanks & Distance LBSW BHA III MSW Anch, Distance MSW Guidance and Counseling: Masters in Education, Fbx MS, Clinical Psychology: Anch LCSW LMSW LPC w/ addtl credits Psych Assoc. Ph.D. Clinical-Community Psychology, Anch & Fbx Psychologist 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 12

13 Alaska Native students are supported in the psychology programs from the bachelors through the masters level through ANPsych. Graduates from the Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology are eligible for the Psychological Associate licensure, and with an additional 12 credits may be eligible for the Licensed Professional Counselor licensure. Figure 4 UA Psychology programs and ANPsych Alaska Natives Into Psychology Community Psychology: BA, BS Fairbanks Psychology: BS Anch Clinical Psychology: MS Psych Associate, LPC with addtl 12 credits In Figure 3, the articulation and licensure opportunities for nursing are shown, along with the use of the Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing (RRANN). RRANN supports students at the pre-associates level through the bachelors program. At the Masters level, a nurse may select a psychiatric specialty. Figure 5 UA Nursing program articulation, pathways, and licensure Recruitment & Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing Nursing, Certified Nurse Aide Seward, Anch Nursing, Practical Nursing Certificate Anch, Distance Nursing, AAS 14 sites Nursing, BS Anch RN CNA LPN Nursing, MS Anch ANP, Psychiatric specialty 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 13

14 Partnerships WICHE The University of Alaska is a member of Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, whose Mental Health Program has helped facilitate the development of the Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative. The Mental Health Program has assisted in analysis of the workforce needs and the University s capacity to respond, and provides advice on strategies to deliver behavioral health education. Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative This Initiative is funded by the Alaska Mental Health Trust and the State of Alaska, Department of Health and Social Services, and the University of Alaska. With the guidance of WICHE, the University of Alaska convened educators from across the behavioral health fields to discuss how to most effectively address workforce shortages. The group examined need, future demand, and current efforts to educate professionals. Several major entities in Alaska have joined together to address current and future demand of behavioral health professionals. Three main partners formed a funding alliance: University of Alaska: As the State s public university, UA has the responsibility to address state needs through education, training and research. Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority: Unique in the nation, the Trust is a public foundation that administers land and assets to fund mental health and other needed services to Alaskans. It manages a separate appropriation bill through the legislative process. State of Alaska, Division of Behavioral Health: The state agency statutorily charged to deliver service to those in need of behavioral health intervention. In May 2004, these partners hosted a two-day summit to develop a strategic plan for addressing the supply of behavioral health workers in Alaska. Over 100 providers, policy makers and educators attended. The groups directed that over the next three years efforts are made to: increase the supply of workers from certificate to doctoral level, improve course and program articulation across universities campuses and programs, increase cultural competence skills of the existing and new workforce, and ensure curriculum reflects new practice trends, especially integration of substance abuse and mental health practices In fall 2004, the partners committed $4.178 million in new funds over four years to address these strategic goals. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 14

15 SELECTED PROJECTS Ph.D. Program in Psychology - This PhD program provides a single curriculum with joint governance & faculty at UAF / UAA focusing on applied research germane to Alaska. Masters in Social Work Distance Education Expansion - The UAA Distance MSW expansion admits students who have completed a Bachelor of Social Work. This will result in doubling the number of distance MSW graduates from the current 15 students to a total 30 graduates. Bachelors in Social Work Expansion - The UAF BSW expansion provides a cohort intensive degree program for rural Alaska Native employees of health organizations who have completed the UAF Rural Human Service Certificate and Human Service Associate degree. This will increase BSW graduates by l0 in year two, and by 5 in the following years. Human Services (UAA) - Human Services will expand its collaboration with, and enrollment of, RHS certificate students. Expanding the practicum section offerings, coordination and student placement will allow 22 additional students to complete practicum each year, increasing the annual graduates by 15%. Human Services (UAF) - The Human Services (HSV) program is a gateway to behavioral health education, to employment in Alaska, and is an empowering stepping stone or bridge between certificate programs and bachelors programs in social work and psychology. The program offers the only access to behavioral health education for many people in our state. The rural and statewide HSV program will be expanded. Behavioral Health Workforce Development Initiative - UAS Career Education will develop a regional BOR-level Behavioral Health Aide Certificate focused on residential. Outcomes include: a) increase the number of trained, entry-level behavioral health aides employed in residential environments; b) increase the demonstrated skill level of the trained employees. Training Academy for Rural Behavioral Health - UAF has developed a Training Academy in Rural Behavioral Health providing a range of curriculum options designed to meet the continuing training needs of the behavioral health workforce statewide. Training is designed to ensure that professionals requiring CEUs for professional licensure will be able to meet these requirements while attending the Academy. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 15

16 COMMITTED FUNDING FOR SELECTED PROJECTS Funder FY05 Planning FY06 Implementation Mental Health Trust $28,000 $500,000 University of Alaska $40,000 $500,000 State of Alaska $10,000 $100,000 Total Funding $1,178,000 Nursing Education Expansion The University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing has, in partnership with hospitals around the state, doubled the size of its AS and BS programs between 2002 and 2006 to meet workforce demand. The AS and BS programs now graduate 72 and 120 students per year, respectively. The partners include the Providence Foundation, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Alaska Regional Hospital, Bartlett Regional Hospital, Central Peninsula General Hospital, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Ketchikan General Hospital, Maniilaq Association, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, and South Peninsula Hospital. These entities have committed $3 million per year to expand and maintain the expanded associates and bachelors in nursing programs. The expansion is guided by the Nurse Education Advisory Council, comprised of representatives from each funding institution, the President of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, and the University of Alaska Vice President for Health Services. Programs The programs that support behavioral health education are described in this section. Student support programs are described first, as they serve students across several degree programs. Training Centers and various trainings are described next, as they serve students from a variety of educational backgrounds. Certificate programs, Associates, Bachelors, Minors, Masters, Post-Masters, and Doctorate programs follow in that order. Information about these programs changes; to ensure accuracy, please contact the program to confirm specifics. Student Support Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing Description In 1997, 1.1% of all nurses were Alaska Native. In 8 years, that has more than doubled to 2.4%. This small increase is due to a project called Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Native Nurses, or RRANN. RRANN is Anchorage-based, and is currently offering distance delivered support in Juneau in partnership with the University of Alaska Southeast and in Bethel in partnership with the Kuskokwim Campus. RRANN provides advising, tutoring, stipend funding and on-campus housing opportunities to first-year Native nursing students in Anchorage; in the other two sites, all 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 16

17 but the campus housing is offered through RRANN. It has proven critical in retaining and graduating Native students. When the University offered education in place to a cohort of students in Bethel in 2005, eight students started the program and three of those were Native. Both of the drop-outs were Native; all of the non-native students completed the program, and only one did. By contrast, 86 percent of Native students with RRANN support completed Anchorage programs. RRANN is dedicated to encouraging personal growth within an academic community that recognizes the unique educational needs of Alaska Natives with their individual strengths and cultural diversity. RRANN does not offer a curriculum of courses, but is an innovative project that assists students to plan for admission to UAA and to the nursing programs and provides support throughout their academic career by guiding students to the answers they need regarding program and course requirements. Location at UA School of Nursing University of Alaska Anchorage Number FTE faculty & staff RRANN has 3 staff and contracts with part-time student tutors. Majors and graduates per year 14 in Juneau, 4 in Bethel (2007), and 113 in Anchorage (2005). Eligibility Alaska Native and other academically underrepresented students are eligible. Funding sources RRANN began in 1998 with a grant from the HRSA Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Nursing. The University has expanded RRANN to Bethel with a two-year Partners Investing in Nursing s Future grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, Northwest Health Foundation, Bethel Community Services Foundation, and Mat-Su Health Foundation. For more information Jackie Pflaum School of Nursing University of Alaska Anchorage (907) jackiepflaum@uaa.alaska.edu Alaska Natives into Psychology Description 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 17

18 The primary purpose of the Alaska Natives into Psychology program (ANPsych) is to recruit, retain, and train Alaska Native and American Indian students in psychology to increase the numbers of Native behavioral health providers in Alaska, specifically in rural Alaska. The ANPsych program is housed in the Psychology Departments at UAF and UAA and serves as a training pipeline to provide cultural, social, financial and academic support to a continuum of Native students that includes high school students, college students, and Native behavioral health paraprofessionals who wish to further their education to obtain an undergraduate degree in psychology, as well as graduate students seeking a master s degree in psychology through the UA system. Support is also provided to Native doctoral students enrolled in the Joint (UAF and UAA) Ph.D. in Clinical/Community Psychology with a Rural and Indigenous Emphasis. Thus, the ANPsych program seeks to effectively recruit and support Alaska Native and American Indian students who wish to obtain training in psychology through AA, BA/BS, MA/MS and Ph.D. degrees, to address the immense behavioral health needs of our state. In our effort to increase the number of trained Alaska Natives and American Indians in the fields of behavioral health, ANPsych offers scholarships, stipends, tuition waivers, mentorships, tutoring, and skill enhancement workshops to Native undergraduate and graduate students in psychology. In addition, ANPsych provides cultural enrichment through sponsored activities involving Native Elders and student gatherings. We also meet with high school students and community members to provide information about the field of behavioral health. The program first received funding in 2001, and since that time we have demonstrated success in our mission and objectives as evidenced by both tangible and intangible outcomes. Tangible outcomes have included the recruitment and mentoring of undergraduate, masters, and doctoral-level Native students into the psychology departments at UAF and UAA. Intangible outcomes have included cultural enrichment and social support, crucial to the success of Native students engaged in higher education. Location at UA Department of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Psychology College of Liberal Arts University of Alaska Fairbanks Number FTE faculty & staff One FTE faculty (partially funded), one half-time staff Majors and graduates per year 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 18

19 ANPsych has recruited and mentored over 60 Native students at the undergraduate level since the inception of the program and approximately 25 of these Native students have graduated with a Bachelor s degree in psychology. In addition, ANPsych has supported 24 Native students at the master s level since the inception of the program, and successfully graduated 9 Native students with a Master s degree in psychology. There are currently 4 Native students enrolled in the Joint Ph.D. program. Eligibility Alaska Native and American Indian graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. Funding sources The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) is the administrator of the funds for ANPsych, which have been provided through an annual congressional appropriation. ANPsych was recommended for federal appropriations funding for the upcoming year, but the budget was cut drastically and future funding is not guaranteed. In addition, ANPsych has been partially supported through funding from the UA Behavioral Health Initiative. For more information Pamela B. Deters, Ph.D. Statewide Program Director pam.deters@uaf.edu John Gonzalez, Ph.D. Co-Director, Statewide Program john.gonzalez@uaf.edu Training centers and trainings Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Training Academy Description The Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Training Academy s (ARBHTA) mission is Working together to ensure an effective behavioral health workforce for rural Alaska. Our goal is to meet the ongoing continuing education and professional development needs of individuals who provide behavioral health services to individuals, families and communities in rural Alaska. This goal includes a plan to ensure that: our training is accessible to providers, utilizes evidence-based teaching methods that ensure transferability of competencies, assists providers to become culturally competent, and meets the continuing education requirements of regulatory entities for licensure. A long term goal is to ensure retention of a highly skilled behavioral health workforce serving rural Alaska. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 19

20 ARBHTA has developed the concept of Training Institutes as our primary training modality. Training Institutes are self-contained modules that include: (1) Specialty content, (2) Cultural issues, (3) Rural ethics, and (4) Self care for the providers/vicarious trauma. Specialty content areas of institutes developed to date include: (1) Child Assessment & Treatment of Trauma, (2) Assessment & Treatment of Dual Diagnosis Adults, and (3) Clinical Supervision using Tele health. Training Institutes are delivered over a three month period of time and include: pre-audio (phone) session, three-day intensive face-to-face session, small group audio mentoring sessions, and audio wrap up. Training Institutes are delivered by instructor teams comprised of content experts, rural experts, and indigenous elders. Institutes are limited to 20 participants to ensure individualized learning and adequate resources for mentoring. Participants develop a personalized action plan for implementation of skills. Location at UA Psychology Department College of Liberal Arts University of Alaska Fairbanks Courses offered The Training Institute is the primary means of training delivery. Training Institutes specifically meet the needs of rural providers serving largely indigenous populations by providing training that is customized to the rural and cross-cultural settings in which services are provided. Our strong emphasis on self care for the provider addresses workforce retention issues as well as the competence of providers. As of Spring 2007, there are three different advanced-level Training Institutes that have been developed: 1. Assessment & Treatment of Dual Diagnosis Adults: Topics for this training include evidence-based assessment and treatment for dual diagnosis adults, dealing with life threatening crises, cross-cultural competency training, ethical/legal issues, vicarious trauma/self-care for the provider. 2. Child Assessment & Treatment of Trauma: Topics for this training include evidence-based assessment and treatment practices for traumatized children utilizing Trauma-focused components-based therapy, integrating parenting/family issues into treatment, cross-cultural competency training, ethical/legal issues, and vicarious trauma/self-care for the provider. 3. Clinical Supervision and Tele Behavioral Health: Topics for the training include clinical supervision, tele behavioral health, tele-supervision, vicarious trauma, cross cultural competency issues, and ethics/legal issues. Cultural Competency Training: The Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Training Academy also works with behavioral health care organizations to provide custom-designed cultural competency training for their staff. The model utilizes an intensive experiential approach; the instructor team includes: elders, faculty, and indigenous behavioral health providers. 9/07 draft University of Alaska Behavioral Health Program 20