The University of Washington (UW) Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is leading the development of the Behavioral Health Support Specialist (BHSS) Clinical Training Program curriculum for Washington State. This curriculum may be integrated into existing bachelor’s degrees (psychology, social work, behavioral health, and related programs), or offered as a post baccalaureate continuing education opportunity.
Using a backward design approach, our project team has developed meta-competencies, competencies and learning objectives as foundations for the program curriculum.
Meta-Competencies (MCs) and Competencies
The eight MCs and affiliated competencies for the BHSS Clinical Training Program curriculum are as follows:
Health Equity
- Recognize the impact of health disparities on patient engagement.
- Practice use of inclusive communication that supports healthcare equity.
Helping Relationship
- Develop supportive and effective working alliance with patients and their support networks.
- Engage patients to enhance participation in care.
- Facilitate group psychoeducation.
- Utilize a trauma-informed care framework in all aspects of a helping relationship.
Cultural Responsiveness
- Develop knowledge of a patient’s identity(ies).
- Provide services responsive to a patient’s identity(ies) and contexts.
- Practice cultural humility in helping relationships.
- Strive to address own biases in work with patients.
Team-Based Care and Collaboration
- Integrate professional identity and scope of practice within a healthcare team.
- Practice interprofessional communication.
- Contribute to teams and teamwork.
Screening and Assessment
- Utilize appropriate standardized screening tools to identify common behavioral health conditions.
- Conduct a suicide risk assessment and provide appropriate intervention under supervision.
- Conduct a patient-centered biopsychosocial assessment.
- Use measurement-based care to support stepped care approaches and adjust the type and intensity of services to the needs of the patient.
Care Planning and Coordination
- Contribute to the development of whole health care plan and stay well plan with the patient, the patient’s support network, and healthcare team members.
- Maintain a registry to systematically track patient treatment response to interventions.
- Ensure the flow and exchange of information among patients, patient’s support networks, and linked providers.
- Facilitate external referrals to social and community-based services.
- Demonstrate accurate documentation of services provided and summaries of contact with linked providers in the patient record.
- Recognize the interaction between behavioral health conditions, chronic physical health conditions, and their associated symptoms.
Intervention
- Integrate motivational interviewing strategies into practice.
- Provide psychoeducation to patients and their support network about behavioral health conditions and treatment options consistent with recommendations from the healthcare team.
- Employ distress tolerance strategies including problem solving and relaxation techniques to reduce the impact of acute stress on patient mental and behavioral health.
- Apply brief, evidence-based treatment for common mental health presentations including depression, based on behavioral activation principles.
- Apply brief, evidence-based treatment for common mental health presentations including anxiety, based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles.
- Apply harm reduction strategies for substance use concerns including the delivery of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT).
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of the evidence base for brief treatment that focuses on symptom reduction.
Law, Ethics, and Professional Practice
- Identify and apply federal and state laws to practice.
- Integrate foundations of interprofessional ethics to practice.
- Utilize supervision and consultation to guide practice.
- Engage in ongoing reflective practice.
Please review our BHSS flyer