INDIANAPOLIS (February 13, 2019) ─ As the Indiana opioid crisis continues, there is a shortage of trained behavioral health professionals to ensure those suffering from substance use disorders (SUD) receive treatment. To help address this gap, Community Health Network is launching a program that will prepare more licensed clinical social workers to provide treatment in central Indiana, while also improving the quality of the training they receive to better serve patients. The program provides a model that can be replicated in communities across the state.
The Community Behavioral Health Academy – a partnership between Community Behavioral Health at Community Health Network, the Indiana University School of Social Work-IUPUI Campus (IUSSW), the University of Indianapolis (UIndy) and Ascend Indiana – prepares students for dual licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC). This will grow the supply of behavioral health professionals, while enhancing the quality of treatment for those experiencing SUD.
The Academy, made possible through a grant from the Indianapolis-based Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, will yield 15 to 30 dually licensed clinical social workers annually who will treat thousands of additional people in Indiana each year.
“The Behavioral Health Academy aligns with our commitment to our patients and the communities we serve, “said George Hurd, vice president of Community Behavioral Health. “By creating a pipeline of qualified, specially-trained therapists, we will strengthen our fight against the opioid epidemic and change the lives of those with addiction.”
Indiana ranks among the top five states in its rate of opioid use or dependency, but is 44th in its capacity to meet the medication-assisted treatment needs of the state’s population. Contributing to that is the growing gap between employer demand for behavioral health professionals and talent supply, with Indiana falling about 7,000 workers short of the need.
This comes at a time of increased urgency around access to treatment. A recent study from Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation found that more than 1,700 Hoosiers died from a drug overdose in 2017, an all-time high and a 75 percent increase since 2011. And, while some states reported a drop in the number of overdose deaths from 2016 to 2017, Indiana continued its upward trajectory.
“In the community mental health center setting, talent supply is only meeting 68% of projected demand for mental health positions,” said Jason Kloth, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana. “This partnership between Community Health Network, IUSSW, and UIndy will create a pipeline of highly trained behavioral health professionals to provide timely recovery services. Additionally, by sharing what we’ve learned through this process, we hope to enable employers and educational institutions to replicate this model.”
A wide range of factors contribute to the lack of trained behavioral health professionals, including relatively low pay, stressful working conditions, and the need for more relevant curricula around evidence-based treatments for SUDs. The Academy aims to address these obstacles by offering students financial incentives, licensure support and employment pathways following graduation. However, to fully meet the need for workers, both state and federal process and policy changes are needed. These include providing tuition assistance for prospective students; expediting the licensure process; increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates at the state level; changing federal policy so that more behavioral health professionals can bill Medicare; and creating a more nimble, relevant curriculum for the field.
“The Community Behavioral Health Academy is one step in what should be a comprehensive approach to meeting the significant need for treatment among those suffering from substance use disorder and mental illness in Indiana,” said Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. “To help save lives and stem the growing toll of the opioid epidemic, making other substantive changes and replicating this model around the state will be key.”
As part of its grant, Ascend will help health system leaders and higher education institutions across the state learn from Community Health Network’s program so they can create similar approaches to be piloted in other communities.
Academy participants will complete a specialized curriculum and internship over two semesters, and graduates will receive financial incentives and educational opportunities, including a priority job interview at Community Health Network upon graduation. “We are pleased that our curriculum now prepares graduates to become dually licensed to help combat Indiana’s opioid epidemic as well as complex mental health and substance use disorders experienced by people in our communities,” said Tamara Davis, dean of the Indiana University School of Social Work at IUPUI.
“Such collaborations provide students with innovative experiential learning, professional development, and networking opportunities to maximize career outcomes and to meet the demand for skilled workers in these fields,” said Stephen Kolison, Jr., vice president and provost at the University of Indianapolis.
Recruitment for the Community Behavioral Health Academy will begin in February 2019 at IUPUI and UIndy, with program coursework beginning in Fall 2019. Eligible candidates for the Community Behavioral Health Academy include current students seeking their Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and in their first year of coursework. Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) undergraduates and current social workers with a bachelor’s degree in social work should apply to one of the participating MSW programs to be considered for the Academy.
About Community Health Network
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Community Health Network has been deeply committed to the communities it serves since opening its first hospital, Community Hospital East, in 1956. Now with more than 16,000 caregivers and 200 sites of care, Community Health Network puts patients first while offering a full continuum of healthcare services, world-class innovations and a new focus on population health management. Exceptional care, simply delivered, is what sets Community Health Network apart and what makes it a leading not-for-profit healthcare destination in central Indiana. For more information about Community Health Network, please visit eCommunity.com.
About Indiana University School of Social Work-IUPUI Campus
Since 1911, the Indiana University School of Social Work (IUSSW) has been dedicated to developing competent, caring professionals who are qualified to assume leadership roles in social work practice, and who strive to enrich the lives of the people they touch. IUSSW administers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. programs online and on IU campuses across the state, including IUPUI.
As one of seven Indiana University campuses, IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) is known as Indiana’s premier urban research and health sciences institution and is dedicated to advancing the intellectual growth of the state of Indiana and its residents through research and creative activity, teaching, learning, and community engagement. IUPUI has nearly 30,000 students enrolled in 18 schools, which offer more than 300 degrees and has awarded degrees from both Indiana University and Purdue University for 50 years. For more information, please visit https://iupui.socialwork.iu.edu/.
About the University of Indianapolis
The University of Indianapolis, founded in 1902, is a private, liberal arts university located just a few minutes from downtown Indianapolis. UIndy is ranked among the top Midwest Universities by the U.S. News and World Report, with a diverse enrollment of more than 4,300 undergraduates, 1,400 graduate students and 400 continuing education students. The University offers a wide variety of study areas, including 100 undergraduate degrees, more than 40 master’s degree programs and five doctoral programs. More occupational therapists, physical therapists and clinical psychologists graduate from UIndy each year than any other state institution. With strong programs also in engineering, business, and education, UIndy impacts its community by living its motto, “Education for Service.” www.uindy.edu.
About Ascend Indiana
Ascend is the talent and workforce development initiative of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), an organization that brings together industry, higher education and philanthropic leaders to advance our region’s prosperity and growth. Ascend’s vision is for Indiana to be a place of economic opportunity for all. To achieve this, Ascend bridges talent and communication gaps by creating connectivity between people and employers. Ascend has focused its efforts around three core priorities: connecting job seekers to career opportunities through the Ascend Network talent platform, providing strategic consulting to address labor market gaps through Ascend Services, and informing workforce research and public policy through thought leadership. To learn more, visit ascendindiana.com.
