Evaluation of the Rural Interprofessional Behavioral Health Scholars Program to Expand Public Health Workforce Capacity During COVID-19.

Mental health and substance use are growing nationwide public health concerns being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, there is a dire shortage in the public health workforce. This paper shares the design and mixed-method outcome evaluation of a Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET)-funded rural, interprofessional, behavioral health training program (RIBHS) delivered during COVID-19 at one southeastern US public university. Twenty-six advanced year MSW students completed the RIBHS program. Data were collected from trainees via pre/post surveys and two focus groups. Trainees' self-reported statistically significant increases in teamwork, behavioral health, and rural practice competencies. Trainees also described how COVID-19 shaped their experience in the RIBHS program. The RIBHS program prepared trainees with the competencies needed to address the growing behavioral health crisis in the US and can serve as a training model for other social work and related public health workforce initiatives.

Exploring Social Work Practitioners' Perspectives on the Contributors to Burnout since the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Burnout has a historic and disproportionate impact on social workers and is one important contributor to the ongoing health and behavioral health workforce crisis in the United States. Little is known, however, about social workers' experiences of burnout and their perceptions of factors that contribute to burnout since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to explore this by answering the following research questions: (a) To what extent are social workers in South Carolina experiencing burnout? and (b) What do South Carolina social workers view as the top reasons for burnout in their professional role? Seventy social work practitioners and leaders from South Carolina completed an online survey during Fall 2022 that included the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory and an open-ended question focused on identifying their perceptions of the top three reasons for burnout in the profession. Findings suggest that social workers in this study are experiencing moderate levels of burnout since the COVID-19 pandemic and report primarily organizational (83 percent) contributors to burnout. They also identified individual (36 percent), systemic (29 percent), and interpersonal (27 percent) contributors to burnout. Implications are discussed related to policy and practice responses to prevent and address burnout among social workers.

A Mixed Method Study of Teachers' Appraisals of Student Wellness Services and Supports During COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Understanding teachers' appraisals of student wellness services and supports during COVID-19 is essential to strengthening services and improving student health outcomes. This mixed-method study aimed to examine US PK-12 teachers' appraisals of student wellness services and supports during COVID-19. METHODS: This study focuses on qualitative data from 291 teachers' open-ended responses to the question: "What do you wish your school leaders knew about this (wellness support) aspect of your work?" and whose responses described wellness services and supports. A qualitative content analysis was conducted by an interdisciplinary research team using open- and axial coding. RESULTS: Three main themes emerged. (1) insufficient access to mental health professionals and programming at schools, (2) concern about the quality of available services, and (3) a need for teacher professional development and support on student wellness. Statistically significant differences in teacher appraisals of insufficient access to mental health professionals and programming were found based on grade level taught and percentage of immigrant students in the school. CONCLUSION: With amplified student wellness needs, school personnel, including school leaders, must consider ways to allocate additional resources/staffing, assess the quality of services and supports, and design professional development opportunities to support teachers' involvement in supporting student wellness needs.