Gila Valley Mental Health Coalition
October 2021 Update
Staff and faculty from Eastern Arizona College (EAC) and Local First Arizona (LFA) met with ASU to tour the ASU Community Collaborative at the Westward Ho - a Collaborative Clinical Space. The ASU Community Collaborative at the Westward Ho is an inter-professional service unit that provides ASU students with real-world service learning opportunities while enhancing the quality of life and functioning of individuals and communities.
Through conversation with staff, faculty, and students at the ASU Community Collaborative, EAC learned more about an Associate’s Degree in Social Work and how students going through this program could have a direct impact on their community through their assigned coursework. The group identified ample internship and work-study opportunities with local employers that would benefit the students and add capacity for the employers. By the end of the tour, EAC walked away excited about the idea of potentially adding a new minor program to its curriculum versus the previously discussed Behavioral Health Certification.
As a next step, EAC convened an Advisory Committee that brought together staff and faculty to discuss what an Associate’s Degree in Social Work would look like for students. The group determined that they would like the program to have an internship aspect to engage students in the local community to help address mental health challenges. They also decided that they would like to select classes that would benefit those students already in the industry that are interested in furthering their education. The group is working to solidify program details to roll out as a full program for students in the coming months.
Where It All Began:
The TPM model is as versatile as it is valuable to not only addressing workforce challenges but also social challenges in rural communities. In 2020, Graham County Health Department, in partnership with Coll Consulting LLC, completed the 5-Year Community Health Assessment. Through this assessment, Mental Health was identified as a priority for the region.
Gila Valley has a very limited number of organizations that provide mental health services to clients. In Graham County, there are 12.71 social workers for every 100,000 people, compared to Maricopa County where there are 74 social workers for every 100,000 people. In Gila County, there are 10.36 psychologists for every 100,000 people, compared to Maricopa County where there are 25.18 psychologists for every 100,000 people. In addition to a scarcity of mental health providers, there is an overall disconnect amongst available resources and where to find them. Source: 20201117_AZ_BH_Workforce_FINAL.pdf (arizona.edu)
After a series of virtual meetings and listening sessions, a Mental Health Coalition was developed with three (3) focus groups created to address:
Mental Health System/Infrastructure
Mental Health Workforce
Youth Mental Health
Local First Arizona took the lead with the Mental Health Workforce Work Group planning to address challenges in career awareness and career exploration while fostering streamlined pathways to mental health careers. Bringing partners to the table like Eastern Arizona College, ASU Watts College, and United Way of Graham & Greenlee Counties, this committee initiated discussions around
stronger pathways
scholarships/funding
A community marketing campaign to "Grow Our Own" in mental health
Coll Consulting LLC spearheaded the Mental Health System/Infrastructure Work Group envisioning what a comprehensive mental health system could offer and mapping the existing system in the Gila Valley.
Finally, Graham County Health Department led the Youth Mental Health Workgroup and identified the following priorities:
increase community collaboration and build capacity to address youth mental health
address provider’s needs, areas of expertise, resources and other assets.
develop a resource database for school districts/community partners
The local community college - Eastern Arizona Community College (EAC) - entered the conversation and agreed that there is a local talent pipeline need within the mental health workforce and that they would like to be a part of the solution. EAC began looking into offering a stacked credential for a Behavioral Health Certification. A Behavioral Health Certification is an entry-level credential for those who are providing support services to individuals receiving mental health services. Once the student receives the Behavioral Health Certificate, they would be able to start work immediately and gain hands-on experience. Should they choose, the individual could then continue their education towards either an Associate's Degree in Psychology, and then a Behavioral Health Consultant, or a Mental Health Practitioner and beyond.
Local First Arizona and EAC continued to look into additional programming for the college while also meeting the needs of the community.
