HEAL 252 - Behavioral Health for Allied Health Professionals

3 Credits

Scenario and practice based course to develop skills and apply competencies necessary for allied health and nursing professionals to work with clients with behavioral health disorders in an integrated healthcare setting. Aligned to their scope of practice, students will practice using screening tools, documentation, administering psychiatric and medication assisted treatment, providing effective patient education and care coordination skills.

Instructor Permission Required Yes
Fees

Quarters Typically Offered
Summer Evening, Online, Weekend
Designed to Serve Medical assistants, medical assisting students, nursing and allied health professionals with clinical duties for integrated settings.
Active Date 20201208T18:00:28

Grading Basis Decimal Grade
Variable Credit Yes Range 1-3
Class Limit 20
Contact Hours: Lecture 22 Lab 22
Total Contact Hours 44
Invasive Procedure Used Yes

Degree Distributions:
ProfTech Course Yes
Restricted Elective Yes
PLA Eligible Yes

Course Outline

Role of Allied Health Profesionals in Behavioral Health Settings
- Scope of work
- Care coordination, role in team based care
- Terminology/titles and roles of individuals involved in different levels of care
Prepping for client appointments and for walk ins.
- Address barriers such as homelessness, transportation, etc.
Engaging/developing rapport with behavioral health clients.
- Trauma Informed Care
- Motivational interviewing
- Boundaries
Vital signs, considerations for BH clients and BH medications.
Implementing screening tools.
- PHQ9
- GAD7
- MoCA
- Tools to screen for social determinants of health
- Substance abuse screening
- Review of systems
- Screening for side effects of medication
Labs/reports specific to this population. Clozapine monitoring requirements, laboratory standing orders for certain psychotropic medications, EDIE reports, sharing information about utilization management.
Prior authorizations, more or less for this population for medications. Insurance coverage/restrictions.
General introduction to medication classifications, most commonly prescribed medications, potential side effects, interfering substances
Medication administration, education, packaging, coordination. Include injection of psychotropic medication, packaging available in some places to assist with the needs of behavioral health clients, etc.
MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) for clients wishing to eliminate addiction.
Managing registries, using the WA State monitoring system for controlled substances
CLIA waived lab testing including urine drug screens, pregnancy tests, blood glucose testing
Population health
Patient education and assistance with self-management skills
Documentation
- Compare/contrast needs for behavioral health

Student Learning Outcomes
Define the role of the allied health professional in team based care in the behavioral health setting.

Demonstrate appropriate use of common behavioral health screening tools.

Compare and contrast documentation needs for clients with behavioral health or substance use disorders as distinct from physical health documentation.

Apply clinical skills and communication techniques best suited for clients dealing with behavioral health challenges using role play.

Practice and deomnstrate skills within one’s scope of practice for medication administration and labs appropriate to the population.

Demonstrate patient education and care coordination skills necessary for behavioral health patients.