Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, actions, and evaluation of a university-based, transdisciplinary coalition so that the model may be replicated in other university or multidisciplinary systems. The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Mental and Behavioral Health Coalition addresses Nevada’s workforce shortages through multi-disciplinary faculty collaboration among seven training programs at UNLV that produce mental health professionals. The coalition’s collaborative approach to solution-generating work has served as a catalyst for professional integration in the community as a whole.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce (2017). An action plan for behavioral health workforce development. Retrieved July 6, 2017, from http://annapoliscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/action-plan-full-report.pdf.
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (2015). Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. SMA 15-4927, NSDUH Series H-50). Retrieved June 30, 2017, from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/.
Delaney, K. R., Robinson, K. M., & Chafetz, L. (2013). Development of integrated mental health care: Critical workforce competencies. Nursing Outlook, 61(6), 384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2013.03.005.
Dvoskin, J. (2015). December 2014 Report to Governor Sandoval. Behavioral Health and Wellness Council. Retrieved from http://dpbh.nv.gov/Boards/BHWC/BHWC_-_home/.
Easterly, L. (2009). An educational model for workforce development: Dissemination of evidence-based practices. Community Mental Health Journal, 45(3), 199–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-008-9170-7.
Griswold, T., Packham, J., Marchand, C., Etchegoyhen, L., & Jorgensen, T. (2017). Health Workforce in Nevada 2017 Edition. Reno: Office of Statewide Initiatives, University of Nevada School of Medicine.
Hoge, M. A., Wolf, J., Migdole, S., Cannata, E., & Gregory, F. X. (2016). Workforce development and mental health transformation: A state perspective. Community Mental Health Journal, 52(3), 323–331. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9953-6.
Kaufman, J. (2015). Effect of conflict on team performance and satisfaction among health professional students. Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development, 8(1). https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ojwed/vol8/iss1/5/.
Kies, B., & Loos, A. T. (2013). Assessment of the training and continuing education needs of a regional public health workforce. Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development, 6(2). https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ojwed/vol6/iss2/3/.
Lusk, S. L., & Fazarro, D. (2006). The effects of psychosocial factors on career and workforce development for students with learning disabilities. Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development, 2(1). https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ojwed/vol2/iss1/4/.
Mental Health America (2018). Ranking the states. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/ranking-states.
National Institutes of Mental Health and the U.S. Bureau of the Census (2017). Prevalence of serious mental illness among adults, by state, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2018, from https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/smi-prevalence-chart.pdf.
Nayar, P., Apenteng, B., Nguyen, A. T., Shaw-Sutherland, K., Ojha, D., & Deras, M. (2017). Needs assessment for behavioral health workforce: A state-level analysis. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 44(3), 465–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-016-9500-4.
Nguyen, T., & Davis, K. (2016). The state of mental health in America 2017. Alexandria: Mental Health America, Inc.
Packham, J. F., Griswold, M. T., & Marchand, C. (2013). Health Workforce in Nevada 2013 Edition. Reno: Office of Health Professionals Research and Policy, University of Nevada School of Medicine.
Peterson, J., Stuart, G. W., Flaherty, M. T., Morgan, O., Daniels, A. S., Hoge, M. A., … Madenwald, K. (2009). A national action plan for workforce development in behavioral health. Psychiatric Services, 60(7), 883–887. https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2009.60.7.883.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge this publication was supported by the Nevada State Division of Public and Behavioral Health through Grant Number: 3B09SM010039-14 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The authors thank LeAnn G. Putney, PhD, Educational Psychology and Higher Education, University of Nevada Las Vegas, for editing this publication and for serving as a founding member of the coalition. The authors acknowledge the technical support of Vaida Kazlauskaite, MS, in creating the survey and supporting the coalition in her role as a graduate assistant. The authors greatly appreciate the vision and collaboration of Michele Clark, PhD, RN, LMFT, Joanne Thompson, PhD, Randy Astramovich, PhD, and Cynthia Carruthers, PhD as founding members of the coalition. The authors acknowledge the ongoing support from Barbara Atkinson, MD, Founding Dean of the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine, in sustaining the efforts of the coalition. The valuable oversight and administrative support of the Lincy Institute has been appreciated. This publication was supported by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health through Grant Number 3B09SM010039-14 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Nevada State Division of Public and Behavioral Health nor the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors report no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hunt, S.M., Denby, R.W., Hertlein, K.M. et al. A University-Based Transdisciplinary Approach to Mental Health Workforce Shortages. Community Ment Health J 55, 742–749 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00367-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00367-y