Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET)

About: At the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), our Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultation (PCBH) model integrates psychological services within primary care to promote overall health and well-being across the general population. The PCBH model is an integrated care approach that seamlessly plugs in primary care clinicians with behavioral health training as Behavioral Health Consultants to serve all healthcare needs within a primary care setting. A Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) works alongside primary care providers (PCPs) to enhance whole-person, comprehensive approach to all healthcare needs. This HRSA Award focused on Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) engages four mental health disciplines at UTRGV to develop the next generation of behavioral health providers fully equipped to serve as a BHC in primary care settings.  

Mission: The I2PBH (Interdisciplinary Integrated Primary and Behavioral Healthcare) Initiative was launched in 2019 with the aim of equipping the next generation of behavioral health professionals to deliver culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and population-based care. Through the PCBH Certificate Program, we train graduate students in behavioral health disciplines to become BHCs in primary care settings. The initiative has implemented high-fidelity competency training for master's and doctoral students in Social Work, Rehabilitation Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Psychology. Students participate in a structured PCBH certificate pathway, including two specialized courses, bi-monthly group supervision, and an intensive four-day boot camp focused on primary care-based behavioral health interventions. I2PBH educational component is equipped through interprofessional education, where physician trainees contribute as guest lecturers, enhancing students' understanding of behavioral health integration in primary care settings. 

Impact: As of 2025, we have had a total of 40 students enroll into the PCBH certificate program. Students from all four mental health disciplines speak to the sharpness of the competency-based training of the program. Through simulations and real-life case discussions, students gain an accurate understanding of how their skills need to be applied in moment-to-moment engagement during a primary care visit. Students appreciate an approach to care that is focused on the context and the whole person and notice the strength of the contextually informed approach to healthcare.  

Our team will continue to work with programs to sustain the program beyond grant period. Our vision is to ensure that each of the mental health programs will have a commitment to developing primary care-ready behavioral health professionals for the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.