Annapolis Conference Convened on Behavioral Health Workforce
Education
On September 10-11, 2001 approximately 65 individuals gathered
in Annapolis, Maryland to address concerns regarding the relevance
of education and training programs to the rapidly changing
health care environment. The meeting was co-sponsored by the
American College of Mental Health Administration and the Academic
Behavioral Health Consortium.
This interdisciplinary meeting focused on the education and
training of several segments of the workforce: students in
graduate programs, working professionals, and a third group
of individuals that provides much of the direct care to persons
suffering from behavioral health disorders: consumers themselves,
family members, as well as the many front-line workers employed
in mental health and addiction treatment systems.
Co-chair Michael Hoge (Yale University) conveyed the perspective
of the conference organizers in an opening keynote. Their
impetus for convening this meeting was to bring attention
to a number of concerns. Graduate programs have not kept pace
with changes to the field, leaving students unprepared at
graduation for many of the realities of contemporary practice.
Continuing education programs rely almost exclusively on didactic
workshops and conferences, which research has demonstrated
to have marginal effects on professional behavior and consumer
outcomes. Little training is currently being offered to consumers,
family members and other workers who provide the majority
of direct care, especially in public sector mental health
and addiction treatment systems.
A core of the meeting involved small work groups in which
participants critiqued position papers prepared in advance
of the meeting, each containing recommendations on educational
content, teaching strategies, and optimal training settings
for the three workforce groups. The feedback from participants
obtained during these sessions is currently being incorporated
into the position papers. These papers, along with the text
of several keynotes, will be published in 2002 in a special
issue of the journal Administration and Policy in Mental Health.
A specific action plan is currently under development. One
aspect of that plan will involve seeking financial support
to convene an interdisciplinary, expert consensus panel to
specify core competencies that are needed for effective and
efficient practice in the current healthcare environment.
The conference organizers would like to identify other
individuals and organizations that are interested in collaborating
on this work. They would also like to identify innovative
educational programs and "educational innovators"
who have been addressing this agenda. Those with an interest
or information should contact the conference co-chairs: Michael
Hoge (203-785-5629) or John Morris (803-898-1149)
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