Name
Beyond the Master's Degree: Preparing Bachelor's-Level Providers for the Behavioral Health Care Manager Role
Description

This session presents a training curriculum and supervision model developed for bachelor's-level behavioral health care managers (BHCMs) working within the Collaborative Care Model in an academic medical center setting. Although no national degree requirement exists for the BHCM role, workforce constraints have made it necessary to expand beyond traditional master's-level hiring pipelines. Attendees will learn how a competency-based curriculum and psychologist-led supervision — combined with weekly psychiatric case consultation — can prepare bachelor's-level providers to take on this role effectively. BHCM perspectives on training, skill development, and working in collaborative care are centered throughout the presentation.

Co-Authors
Jennifer Conway, Khadijah Simmons, Samantha Jones
Content Level
Intermediate
Tags
Collaborative Care Model of Integrated Care, Early Career Professionals, Financing and Operational Sustainability
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Describe the core competencies and curriculum components of a training program designed to prepare bachelor's-level providers for the behavioral health care manager role in Collaborative Care.
Objective 2
Identify key elements of a supervision and consultation model that supports role clarity, clinical skill development, and provider confidence for non-master's-level BHCMs.
Objective 3
Apply lessons from BHCM perspectives on training and practice to inform workforce development decisions in their own Collaborative Care programs.
Content Reference 1

Overbeck, G., Kjaeldgaard, M., Rasmussen, M., & Davidsen, A. S. (2018). The work and challenges of care managers in the implementation of collaborative care: A qualitative study. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 25(3), 167–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12449

Content Reference 2

Ratzliff, A., Unützer, J., Katon, W., & Stephens, K. A. (Eds.). (2016). Integrated care: Creating effective mental and primary health care teams. John Wiley & Sons.

Content Reference 3

LaRocco-Cockburn, A., Jakupcak, M., Bauer, A. M., Bowen, D. J., Bechtel, J., Koconis, N., & Fortney, J. C. (2022). Care managers' experiences in a collaborative care program for the treatment of bipolar disorder and PTSD in underserved communities. General Hospital Psychiatry, 76, 16–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2022.03.004