Implementation of an Integrated Behavioral Health Specialization Serving Children and Youth: Processes and Outcomes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recent workforce trends in healthcare point to a growing need to prepare social workers capable of providing integrated behavioral health care in multidisciplinary settings serving at-risk youth. This article reports on a project that involved the development and implementation of a graduate-level social work specialization focused on integrated behavioral health practice with children and adolescents. This specialization offered targeted curriculum, interprofessional education experiences and specialized mentoring and field opportunities to second-year, advanced, clinical master’s students interested in working with at-risk children and adolescents. Outcomes and implementation processes were evaluated using a mixed methods approach. Findings included improvement of mental health literacy, a strengthening of professional social work identity and an enhanced commitment to serving youth populations. Engaging in a community of practice was identified as important for enhancing self-efficacy and professional identity. The creation of intentional communities of practice that help social workers develop skills through the engagement of targeted social practices embedded within interprofessional networks represents an important area of future study. Longitudinal research exploring the long-term impact of practice specializations on the behavioral health workforce are indicated.