Tag: IMC

Behavioral Health Workforce Training

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Overview

Better Health Together’s Behavioral Health Forum, a convening body for behavioral health providers and educators in Eastern Washington, allocated funding in 2024 for multiple training opportunities to support the behavioral health and community-based workforce in Eastern Washington. Better Health Together has contracted with experts to present these trainings for free in 2024 and 2025.

Important note: Because of space limitations, Forum member organizations will receive prioritization and each organization may be limited in the number of slots allotted, dependent on interest. Directed by the Forum’s guiding principles, this helps us build an inclusive roster of training attendees and supports widespread participation.

Training Opportunities



  • This full-day workshop entitled Intergenerational Colonial Trauma: Long-Term Impacts on Native American Communities is presented by Indigenous-led consultancy Swan Innovations. It includes both knowledge acquisition and skill-building for behavioral health clinicians and other members of the workforce who are engaging with individuals impacted by trauma. Using an Indigenous Worldview as a framework and foundation, trainers Dr. Martina Welshula and Cree Welshula will educate participants about colonization, intergenerational trauma, and the neurobiology of culture and trauma. Participants will build skills and learn strategies to assist in providing culturally responsive care and support wellness and healing for the clients and community members they serve. 

    This program has been approved for 6.5 CEUs by the NASW Washington State Chapter. Licensed Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Mental Health Counselors are eligible. Better Health Together’s Provider number is 1975-463. 

    Option #1: October 8, 2024 at Spokane Falls Community College

    Option #2: November 12, 2024 at Spokane Falls Community College

    Pre-register at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/CsvX6i90P8 



  • Adult Mental Health First Aid

    Adult Mental Health First Aid teaches people how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults ages 18 and older, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care if necessary. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions.

    Date: August 9, 2024
    Time: 8 am to 4 pm
    Location: WSU Spokane Health and Research Building, 655 N. Riverpoint Blvd, Spokane, WA

    This training is FULL. To be added to a waitlist or express interest in future Adult MHFA training, please email hannah@betterhealthtogether.org.

    Youth Mental Health First Aid

    Description: Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among youth. After the course, you’ll be able to recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, recognize common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges, understand how to interact with a youth in crisis, and know how to connect a youth with help. This course is designed for adults who work with youth, including but not limited to: teachers, coaches, parents, camp counselors, school staff, etc.
    Date: September 26, 2024
    Time: 8 am to 4 pm
    Location: Health Justice Recovery Alliance Wellness Center
    Registration Link: https://ow.ly/vkhF50SRnWg 



  • Presented by the Institute for Individual and Organizational Change (IFIOC), this training series is for clinicians and members of the community-based workforce who want to build their skills in motivational interviewing. Pre-registration is open for the introductory course, with the opportunity to express interest in the advanced course and the coaching cohort. Twelve CEUs are available for behavioral health professionals with WA state licensure. We particularly encourage individuals interested in the entire series to register; this is an opportunity to achieve competency in fidelity-based motivational interviewing.

    Pre-register at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/LPKNstA4MF 

    Introduction to Motivational Interviewing

    • Option 1: September 3 & 4 at Spokane Central Library

    • Option 2: October 16 & 17 at Northeast Community Center

    Advanced Motivational Interviewing

    • November 14-15 at Northeast Community Center

    Coding/Coaching Cohorts

    • This multi-session cohort for up to twelve people will support participants in obtaining full proficiency in fidelity-based motivational interviewing. Individuals will submit recordings to be coded using the MI Competency Assessment (MICA) tool and participate in coaching to improve their skills. Dates and times will be determined based on participant availability.  



  • Better Health Together is partnering with Passages to offer a free two-day in-person (Spokane location) Wellness Recovery Action Plan training. WRAP training focuses on simple, effective tools and key recovery concepts that peers can use to create and maintain wellness.

    This training is for Certified Peer Counselors in Eastern Washington.

    • Priority will be given to individuals from organizations that are part of the BHT Behavioral Health Forum, which is funding this free opportunity.

    • To ensure the training is available for many partner organizations, Better Health Together and Passages reserve the right to limit the number of participants per organization.

    Training Dates

Questions

Contact Hannah Klaassen, Better Health Together Program Manager: hannah@betterhealthtogether.org

Funding Opportunity: Offset Lost Billable Hours for BH Forum Member Organizations

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Updated August 19, 2024

This opportunity has closed. If you have questions about your request for funds, please contact Hannah Klaassen: hannah@betterhealthtogether.org.

Posted July 1, 2024

At the June meeting, members of the Better Health Together Behavioral Health Forum approved a motion to allocate $45,000 of training funds to offset lost billable hours. Please read below for full details, including instructions regarding how to access these dollars.

Purpose of funds: provide direct payments to eligible organizations to replace income lost when staff members are engaged in training that prevents them from billing for their time. Funds can cover any trainings attended by billable staff during the 2024 and 2025 calendar years.

Dollar amount per organization: the total amount to each organization will depend on the number of requests received during the specified time period. The $45,000 of allocated funds will be divided evenly by the number of eligible requesting organizations.

 Eligibility: organizations requesting funds must be members of the Better Health Together Behavioral Health Forum.

 Timeline:

  • July 1 through August 16, 2024: request for funds open

  • Week of August 19: notification of award to eligible organizations

  • Mid-August through September: distribution of funds, contingent on completed paperwork

Reporting: there are no reporting requirements for these funds, but organizations must include an estimated average rate for offsetting lost billable hours when they submit their request for funds.

Additional requirements:

  • W9: to be submitted with request for funds. Must use the most recent IRS version of the form (updated March 2024).

  • Attestation form: certifies that the recipient organization will use the funds as intended. To be completed upon award notification.

  • Consent to public statements form: gives permission for Better Health Together to share publicly about fund recipients.  To be completed upon award notification.

Questions?

Contact Hannah Klaassen, hannah@betterhealthtogether.org

2024 Update: Behavioral Health Workforce Investments

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Better Health Together convenes a regional Behavioral Health Forum made up of organizations that provide behavioral health services and institutions that educate the behavioral health workforce. Using Integrated Managed Care dollars set aside by the BHT Board, this self-governing group designs and funds initiatives focused on the behavioral health workforce. This page highlights the way these dollars have supported the community-based workforce, clinicians, and behavioral health interns to strengthen behavioral health services in Eastern Washington.

This is a visualization of behavioral health workforce investments. Click this link for a PDF of the content.

WA-ICA Resources & Reports

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The Washington Integrated Care Assessment (WA-ICA) was developed as a state-wide tool to measure integrated care. The new assessment tool will replace the Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) assessment and various other tools used by the state and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). 

BHT sees this as an important opportunity for us to get a clearer picture of how integration is going in our region. While participation in Cohort 1 (July/Aug 2022) is encouraged but not required by HCA, BHT hopes to use this information to plan future contracting and the larger goal of more effective, equitable healthcare delivery. 

We know this doesn’t align neatly with BHT contract timing, and we are approaching contracts with flexibility in order to support integration efforts. BHT expects to offer financial support for completing (pending Waiver Finance approval this month). You may also use the WA-ICA in place of the MeHAF as a P4A contract measure.

Short version of “why should I care about the WA-ICA?”: It is replacing other integration assessment tools statewide going forward, it’s more streamlined than prior tools, there will be funding from BHT for those who complete, BHT expects to use this information to plan future contracting, and it will help us see how integrated care is in our region.

Updated Feb 2023 with Cohort 1 statewide & regional results reports.
Updated May 2023 with recording & materials from the Cohort 1 Results Webinars.

RESULTS REPORTS

Cohort 1 – Fall 2022

Cohort 1 Results Webinar – April 2023

RESOURCES

WA-ICA webpage

Primary Care

Behavioral Health

Communications to date

2022 Equity Assessment

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Below you will find information and resources for the 2022 iteration of the BHT Equity Assessment.

If you have any questions, please reach out to EQA@betterhealthtogether.org.

About the Equity Assessment

Better Health Together is offering the Equity Assessment to partner organizations throughout Eastern Washington as a way to continue our shared work of advancing equity in our region. Better Health Together first administered the survey at the end of 2019, and shared regional and organizational-level results in early 2020. The 2022 assessment will go live Sept 12, 2022, with results shared in early 2023.

The assessment delves into many aspects of equity, including gender, race, disability, sexuality, language, and lived experience. In this assessment, respondents will be asked to share their observations about equity-related activities and perspectives. Your participation is an opportunity to demonstrate and grow your organization’s commitments to equity. Assessment results can be used as you apply for funding, engage in internal and external equity work, and promote a culture of learning and growth.

We encourage partner organizations to have as many staff as possible to complete the Equity Assessment when it is released. The assessment will be available in English, Spanish, and Russian. A translation of the introductory language will also be available in Marshallese (we are not able to offer a translation of the assessment at this time).

With BHT’s commitment to advancing equity and a strong emphasis on equity in Washington’s Medicaid Waiver renewal, we expect the Equity Assessment will inform future Waiver funding through BHT.

2022 REGIONAL REPORT

2022 BHT Equity Assessment Regional Report

Released February 2023

Organization-level reports will be sent to participant organizations in late February/early March.

RESOURCES

BHT Equity Workbook

Equity Assessment survey link – opened Sept 12, closed Oct 28.

  • You should receive survey link via email from someone at your organization after the assessment opens on Sept 12.

  • The assessment will be available in English, Spanish, and Russian. Participants will select their preference at the beginning of the survey.

  • A Marshallese translation of the introductory text and definition of terms will be available. The assessment tool itself is not available in Marshallese at this time.

Equity Assessment Overview

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Definitions

Overview Webinar – Sept 9, 12:00-1:00 pm

Communications