Presenters: Bill O’Connell, EdD (UW Psychiatry) and Ursula Heflick (Spokane Falls Community College)
The mental and behavioral health workforce shortage has hindered access to care in the United States, resulting in long waitlists for persons who need behavioral health care. Bachelor level practitioners are one solution to increasing available mental and behavioral health treatment across a variety of settings. A Behavioral Health Support Specialist (BHSS) will provide brief treatment for depression using behavioral activation, anxiety using CBT and engage in harm reduction for substance use issues. This webinar highlights an innovative effort in Washington State to initiate a bachelor’s-level BHSS curriculum leading to credentialing to expand the mental health workforce and improve access to care.
Dr. Bill O’Connell is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and National Certified Counselor in Washington State with thirty-five years of experience providing mental and behavioral health services across a variety of settings. Currently, Bill is Associate Professor and Director of the Behavioral Health Support Specialist Workforce Project in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Past experience includes Regional Director of Behavioral Health for One Medical Seniors, Department Chair for Leadership and Professional Studies at Seattle University and Associate Professor of Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling at Xavier University in Ohio. Bill was a licensed chemical dependency counselor in Ohio and worked as assistant clinical director for one of the largest multiservice agencies in the state.
Ursula Heflick has been an instructor at Spokane Falls Community College since 2013 and is the program lead of the Bachelor in Applied Science program in Integrated Behavioral Health. Before transferring to the IBH bachelor’s program, she served as program lead of the Addiction Studies and Integrated Community Services programs and taught a wide range of classes. Before becoming an instructor, Ursula Heflick worked as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Substance Use Disorder Professional with chronically mentally ill adults and youth with co-occurring disorders. Ursula’s primary interests are in student-centered teaching that acknowledges students’ individuality while exposing them to evidence-based practices that have the highest potential to improve health outcomes for community members. She currently is pursuing a doctorate in healthcare leadership and continues to educate herself on topics such as health inequities, trauma-informed care, and the integration of social justice in healthcare, behavioral health, and social services.
