BHSS News
January 6, 2023 | Announcements & News
Summary Report: 2022 Community Partner Focus Groups
In Summer 2022, the UW BHSS Clinical Training Program team facilitated four virtual focus group sessions to gather statewide feedback about the developing BHSS Clinical Training Program curriculum. Generally, there was endorsement that the BHSS will help to increase access to behavioral health treatment and expand the behavioral health workforce in Washington. Additionally, the competencies were endorsed with several recommendations for improvement.
November 2, 2022 | Publications
Task Sharing to Expand Access to Care: Development of a Behavioral Health Support Specialist
This article proposes the development of non-specialist professional roles to deliver low-intensity behavioral interventions for common mental health conditions in U.S. settings such as primary care, to improve access to mental health care. Using data and a multilevel stakeholder assessment, authors discuss findings and challenges associated with such a role, ultimately concluding that stakeholders find such a role to be acceptable and feasible.
June 11, 2022 | Publications
A Low-intensity Behavioral Intervention for Depression in Older Adults Delivered by Lay Coaches: Proof-of-Concept Trial
With an eye toward expanding U.S. geriatric mental health services, this proof-of-concept-trial examined the feasibility of training undergraduate students to deliver Do More, Feel Better, an evidence-informed program for depression; and feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of this program. The trial concluded that it is feasible to train bachelor’s-level students to deliver a brief, structured intervention for depression.
May 1, 2022 | Publications
“Do More, Feel Better”: Pilot RCT of Lay-Delivered Behavioral Activation for Depressed Senior Center Clients
This randomized control trial tested “Do More, Feel Better”, a lay-delivered Behavioral Activation intervention for senior center clients with depression. It found that evidence-based behavioral interventions delivered by lay volunteers can increase activity levels and reduce depression severity in older adults; and that this approach has the potential to address the insufficient workforce available to meet the mental health needs of community-dwelling older adults.
November 5, 2021 | Announcements & News
To strengthen Washington’s mental health workforce, UW wants to train undergrads as first-line providers
Seattle Times staff reporter Hannah Furfaro features the Behavioral Health Support Specialist Clinical Training program and interviews Dr. Anna Ratzliff and others about the impetus for this work.
February 1, 2021 | Publications
Making Psychotherapy Available in the United States: Implementation Challenges and Solutions
This article examines the inadequate treatment of mental illness in the US health care system, and advocates that diverse stakeholders come together to ensure that evidence-based psychotherapy is more readily available within the system.
