HealthLinc to launch behavioral health residency program
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Valparaiso-based HealthLinc is using a $2 million grant from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to launch what it’s calling a first-of-its-kind behavioral health residency program.
The Federally Qualified Health Center says the program, which will begin this summer, is open to graduates with a clinical master’s degree in social work, psychology or counseling.
“Ever since the pandemic, I think it was really highlighted that there was not enough behavioral health mental health professionals in this area, and it only got worse,” said HealthLinc CEO Melissa Mitchell.
Mitchell told Inside INdiana Business the state was looking for innovative ways to fill the pipeline of behavioral health professionals and reduce barriers to clinical licensure.
“Indiana has quite an extensive requirement in terms of converting someone from a master’s of social work to a licensed clinical social work position,” she said. “What we’re seeing in some cases is that people who had gotten that master’s level never could make it to the next level, because it’s so many hours of clinical training that they have to have at that point.”
HealthLinc says Indiana is facing a shortage of thousands of licensed social workers and counselors
Funding for the program comes from the FSSA’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction. The program is being modeled after HealthLinc’s medical, pharmacist, and nurse practitioner residency programs.
The first cohort of eight residents will begin in June and last between 24 to 30 months. The organization the length of the program will provide enough time for clinical supervision and practice hours before taking the clinical licensure exam.
The residency program has two phases. The first involves integrated behavioral health training at HealthLinc, while the second features specialty rotations with behavioral health partners.
During both phases, residents will participate in didactic training and quality improvement projects, along with clinical supervision.
Mitchell said more than 50% of medical patients they’ve identified also have a behavioral health need, but those people are largely going untreated because of a shortage of clinicians in the area.
“What we wanted to do is make sure that we create a function pipeline to help continue to get these professionals out into the industry, and make sure that not only are we helping the market by putting these people into the industry, but we’re in increasing people’s ability to train and having a place to go to complete their education,” she said.
Mitchell said the organization’s existing residency programs have all seen success and growth year after year, and she is hopeful for the same outcome with the behavioral health residency program.
“Once you get a program like this in place, and especially in a situation like ours, where we are a multi-tier experience facility, the cross training in the learning amongst different professional levels draws people in, people want to be involved with it, because it makes everybody better,” she said.
HealthLinc said residents will receive full-time pay, PTO, health insurance and other benefits while participating in the program.
“By investing in the development of new behavioral health professionals, HealthLinc is not only addressing the current shortage but also laying the foundation for a healthier, more resilient society,” Devon Jones, HealthLinc’s chief behavioral health and addictions officer, said in a news release.
You can learn more about the program by clicking here.