HIGHLIGHTS
- More paraprofessional behavioral health workers, including peer support specialists and community health workers are needed to address behavioral health needs of people across the nation.
- Abt provides technical support to increase the number of behavioral health paraprofessionals who work with families and individuals impacted by opioid use disorders (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD) in high need and high demand areas.
- PATA supports awardees to partner with or develop a Registered Apprenticeship Program in which to place trainees to grow and strengthen the behavioral health workforce.
PROJECT
Paraprofessional Apprenticeship Technical Assistance (PATA)
The Challenge
Communities across the nation often need greater access to behavioral health providers. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) is addressing this need by increasing the number of behavioral health-related paraprofessionals in communities by supporting the training and placement of behavioral health paraprofessionals through apprenticeships. Doing so will provide these trainees with good jobs during and after training and bolster the local medical workforce.
The Approach
Abt is partnering with JobForward and Impact Marketing + Communications to provide training and technical assistance to Opioid Impacted Family Support Program and Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals awardees. This support includes webinars, training materials, and individual monthly calls with awardees. These services support awardees to advance their apprenticeship programs to strengthen care teams and increase the number of providers in high-need communities. Abt also regularly assesses whether its achieving intended training outcomes and continuously makes improvements.
The Results
Training and technical assistance resources are accessible to OIFSP and BHWET Para awardees through the Abt-developed, secure project website, which serves as a “learning health system.”
Abt supports awardees in achievement of their training and placement goals and has supported the placement of behavioral health paraprofessional apprentices in communities across the country and establishment new registered behavioral health paraprofessional apprenticeship programs. The successes of Abt’s support in growing and strengthening the behavioral health workforce are documented in an annual report, monthly roundup newsletters, and in many cases, in the Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database System (RAPIDS) administered by the DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship.