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Showcasing our capabilities
Highlighted here is a selection of projects the WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) has undertaken in recent years that, in addition to our current projects, showcase distinct service areas, expertises, and ways in which our staff assist partners.
National
Mental Health First Aid for College Students: The BHP implemented a multi-campus randomized control trial to estimate the effects of a peer-based mental health education intervention on help-seeking behavior and related attitudes and knowledge among college students.
Frontier Mental Health Resource Network: Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this technical assistance center focused workforce-development activities for personnel serving isolated rural populations through coordinated workshops, conference presentations, and knowledge-synthesis papers in a “Letters to the Field” format.
Behavioral Health Population Needs Assessment: The BHP’s Western States Decision Support Group has provided technical assistance to assist states in developing the capacity to estimate the need for services, allowing states to aggregate data for more powerful analyses.
WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research: The WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop and disseminate scientific knowledge that can be readily applied to improve the use, quality, and outcomes of mental health care provided to rural populations.
Military/Veteran and Mental Health First Aid: The BHP partnered with the Citizen Soldier Support Program (with support from the U.S. Department of Defense) to enhance and grow nationally the capacity of community-based providers to meet the behavioral health needs of veterans and their families. In 2013, BHP tested the military Mental Health First Aid program in a U.S. Department of Army-funded study with the Kansas Army National Guard to study the effectiveness of mental health first aid on reducing stigma and increasing help-giving behavior for soldiers.
Alaska
Alaska Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative: The BHP partnered with WICHE’s Programs and Services Unit and eight Western universities to create the Western Consortium for Rural Social Work. The consortium works to increase the number of M.S.W. and Ph.D.-prepared social workers committed to working in rural communities or as faculty members preparing students to serve rural clients.
Hawaii
Early Intervention Services Rate and Salary Study: In partnership with a state department of health division, the BHP analyzed differences in reimbursement rates paid by peer-state agencies across the state for disciplines including occupational therapy and speech therapy.
Idaho
Idaho System Improvement for Transformation: The BHP provided technical assistance to the State of Idaho to develop and submit a Mental Health System Improvement Grant (MH-SIG). In 2009, BHP’s comprehensive study of the public behavioral health system served as the foundation planning document for both legislative action and executive order for the funding and delivery of a major system-reform effort in Idaho.