The WICHE Behavioral Health Program serves the behavioral health needs and priorities of 16 member states and territories in varied ways. Select a state on the map for individual highlights reflecting WICHE’s engagement in that state.
WICHE Behavioral Health Initiatives
Serving the behavioral health needs and priorities of the West
State Engagement
Psychology Internship Consortia
WICHE BHP works with partners in several Western states to help them offer accredited psychology internships that will enable them to grow their own workforce capacity, particularly in rural or remote areas.
Multistate Projects
Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
The WICHE Behavioral Health Program (BHP) and the University of North Dakota College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines have been selected by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to administer a new Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MP-MHTTC). The MP-MHTTC provides comprehensive training, resources, and technical assistance to mental health providers and other practitioners in the SAMHSA Region 8. The MP-MHTTC team develops new, and identifies existing, resources which are disseminated and made easily accessible across the region and the MHTTC network. The team has placed an emphasis on rural and frontier mental health, and forges strong collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in the region and nationally.
Rural Veterans Suicide Prevention
Together With Veterans (TWV) enlists rural Veterans and local partners to join forces to reduce Veteran suicide in communities across the Western region. WICHE continues its collaboration with the Veterans Administration (VA) Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Veteran suicide prevention, to implement this enterprise-wide initiative, which is funded by the VA Office of Rural Health. WICHE also provides training and technical assistance to rural sites interested in pursuing this Veteran-driven, evidence-informed approach to assessing community needs and creating a community-centered action plan grounded in the public health model for suicide prevention. TWV practices are in alignment with the VA National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide, and the SAMHSA/VA partnership implemented through the Governor’s Challenge and the Mayor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families.
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Technical Assistance Project
JBS International, a professional services company, received a cooperative agreement from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Technical Assistance Project. WICHE BHP, in turn, is working with JBS International, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), and the National Rural Health Association as the technical assistance lead for 16 of the 95 rural planning sites identified by HRSA. This project supports grantees in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with opioid use in their communities, which relies upon evidence-based and sustainable interventions.
BHP Receives AZ Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Funding
Mercy C.A.R.E.S. stands for Community Action Resources Education and Service and is Mercy Care’s community giving initiative. Mercy Care is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all Arizonans. Through Mercy C.A.R.E.S., the organization partners with organizations that advance health equity and further the vision that everyone, particularly those who are underserved with complex health needs, deserves to live a healthier life, and achieve their full potential. This year, WICHE was named one of the recipients to support the Expansion of Competency and Evidence-Based Practices in Trauma Informed Treatment.
This guide for primary care providers and medical practice managers contains information and tools to implement state-of-the-art suicide prevention practices, and to help overcome the significant hurdles this life-saving work faces in primary care practices. Download for free or order a hard copy.
Appropriate outcome evaluation data are critical tools for state and federal legislators, state and federal officials, and private accrediting organizations. This resource provides information on how to conduct effective outcome evaluation and offers an example of the WICHE BHP’s approach and work. Hard copies are available for purchase.
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Past projects
See a selection of projects the WICHE Behavioral Health Program has undertaken in recent years: