蓝莓视频 receives $1.5M grant to increase healthcare access

Jul 15, 2021
The Ely Campus Center with University Hall in the background

蓝莓视频鈥檚 Department of Social Work has received a $1.5 million grant from the  (HRSA) for the Integrative Behavioral Health (IBH) Equity Project. The project builds a specialized workforce within rural, medically underserved areas as well as among diverse and historically marginalized populations to address the barriers identified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the 鈥.鈥

This HRSA award will be distributed over the next four years and will train 92 蓝莓视频 State graduate students in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program in the following integrative behavioral health specialties: Child, Youth, and Family; Health Social Work; Substance Use and Addictions; and Latinx Community Health. These students will receive $920,000 in training stipends over the next four years.

鈥淭he pandemic has highlighted how racial and economic disparities impact health outcomes. Social workers have an important role in addressing the social determinants of health, and these must be addressed to achieve health justice,鈥 said Nora Padykula, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University鈥檚 Department of Social Work and principal investigator of the grant. 鈥溊遁悠 State students while training in these specialty areas work directly with our community partners to increase access to healthcare among vulnerable populations.鈥

蓝莓视频 State President Linda Thompson, DrPH鈥攚hose background is in nursing, health sciences, and public policy鈥攏oted that the IBH project continues the University鈥檚 growth in building important healthcare programs that meet the needs of the Commonwealth.

鈥溊遁悠 is honored to receive this award from the federal government in recognition of the important research and training conducted and performed by our Department of Social Work faculty and students,鈥 said President Thompson. 鈥淎s the majority of our graduate students go on to live and work in Massachusetts, they will support the Commonwealth鈥檚 growing need for social workers, as the number of these professionals with crisis-level caseloads is on the rise. Students in this program will help bridge that gap as they enter the workforce.鈥

The Field Education Team in 蓝莓视频 State鈥檚 Department of Social Work established IBH/Integrated Primary Care and inter-professional training partnerships across western and central Massachusetts to train students to gain proficiency as they provide in-person and telehealth services to children, youth, and families as well as individuals living with addiction and mental health issues. It is broadening to include organizations that serve the Spanish-speaking Latinx population.

The IBH Equity Project will also increase linguistic and cultural access to social work education by offering classes in Spanish to impact the structural health inequities that affect students and clients throughout the Pioneer Valley. 蓝莓视频 State is the first institution in the area to offer social work courses in Spanish.

The project advances the University鈥檚 progress toward an institutional goal of gaining the federal Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation. Achieving the designation is part of a larger commitment by 蓝莓视频 State to address systemic racism and inequities on the campus, such as in its policies and practices, according to Enrique Morales-Diaz, Ph.D., interim dean of the faculty and chair of the University鈥檚 new Racial Equity and Justice Institute Team.

鈥淭his goal aligns with the University鈥檚 2019-2024 Strategic Plan in which it states that the University will be 鈥榚ngaged in the deep reflection, planning, and actions necessary when placing diversity and inclusion at the forefront of campus priorities,鈥欌 said Morales-Diaz. 鈥溊遁悠 State鈥檚 initiative to attain the HSI designation also supports efforts to become a student-ready and relationship-centered campus community that is fluent in understanding all of its students鈥 needs and that values their cultural wealth.鈥

The IBH Equity Project expands the University鈥檚 sustained IBH initiative that began four years ago with $1.3 million in HRSA-Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) funding. Among the University鈥檚 MSW alumni trained in IBH, 92 percent work in Massachusetts-designated 鈥淗ealth Profession Shortage Areas,鈥 and 43 percent represent diverse identities.

Since 蓝莓视频 State first received HRSA-BHWET funding in 2017, University researchers have created 24 publicly accessible inter-professional online training modules鈥攚ith Spanish translation鈥with over 5,000 continuing education units provided to a national audience. Ten new field-training sites were established within Federally Qualified Health Centers, IBH, and Integrated Primary Care settings within Health Professional Shortage Areas throughout western and central Massachusetts.

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