Systems Improvement

The Behavioral Health Program (BHP) contracts directly with states and other stakeholders to optimize delivery of behavioral health care. A sample of specific projects that reflect the WICHE Behavioral Health Program’s current systems-improvement work includes:

• Needs assessment and strategic planning
• Policy analysis and development
• Quality improvement and accreditation initiatives for hospitals and programs
• Systemic process reviews, including fidelity reviews, billing compliance, customer/client service, clinical quality, and program monitoring
• Operational plans for program facilities

Another example of the BHP’s work can be found in Together With Veterans, a community-based initiative that addresses the high suicide risk among returning veterans. With U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs support, this initiative expanded beyond a Colorado pilot project to other states in 2017.

Partnerships on these projects may range from a few months to several years. The BHP engages directly with state and federal entities under WICHE’s auspices as an interstate agency, established by U.S. Congress in 1953 and now serving 16 member states and territories.

Workforce Development

The BHP initiatives and partnerships support the capacity, competence, and compassion of the people who serve the behavioral health needs of Western residents, be they psychologists, substance-abuse counselors, support staff, or community liaisons.

WICHE’s technical assistance for Psychology Internship Consortia is a prime example of behavioral health workforce development. Internship consortia enable states to attract capable professionals, particularly in rural or remote areas. These consortia work to develop behavioral healthcare workforce networks to gain and retain qualified psychologists. Though each state manages its own internship program, WICHE provides the conceptual framework, APA accreditation support and alignment, and administrative efficiencies across 10 states.

Another key initiative the BHP, under a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), operates the Mountain Plains Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Center (Mountain Plains ROTAC). Mountain Plains ROTAC provides publicly accessible training and technical assistance to address the misuse of opiates and stimulants across the behavioral health continuum of care in HHS Region 8, covering Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. Through training, webinars on evidence-based practices, supporting a Regional Advisory Workgroup, and providing robust Community of Practice learning opportunities, Mountain Plains ROTAC aims to reach populations impacted by health disparities in rural, tribal, and frontier communities to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with opioid and/or stimulant use in rural communities.

Beyond these initiatives, the BHP engages in partnerships to bolster behavioral health care resource capacity. Examples include:

• Marketing, recruitment, screening, and referral for staff for remote public-school vacancies
• Development of a training academy to increase expertise in select evidence-based practices

Research, Data, and Evaluation

The BHP conducts research and program evaluation to advance knowledge in the field of behavioral health, support innovation and quality improvement, promote accountability, and advance sound public policy. The BHP specializes in adaptations and innovations to evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions that consider the unique opportunities and challenges of providing services in rural and remote contexts.

An important resource produced by the BHP in partnership with the Suicide Prevention Resource Center is the Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Primary Care Practices. It is a much-used reference in primary care clinical settings, which often are front lines for the diagnosis and intervention of individuals considering self-harm and suicide – especially in remote areas.

BHP research staff provide a variety of services and supports. Some examples include:

• Research to identify behavioral health needs, gaps, and opportunities
• Program evaluation to determine cost, implementation, and outcome effectiveness
• Capacity building, training, and consultation on research design, methodology, and analysis
• Data consultation related to meeting federal data collection and reporting requirements
• Third party fidelity reviews of evidence-based practices to support quality improvement
• Development of resources and tools to support providers working across the continuum of care