The Department of Psychology at the University of Montana is part of several integrated behavioral health (IBH) initiatives, ranging from interdisciplinary clinical work for graduate students pursuing social work, counselor education, nursing and psychology, to graduate and undergraduate coursework.

Dr. Holly Schleicher currently serves as the Director of Integrated Behavioral Health in the Department of Psychology at the University of Montana through a grant funded by the Montana Healthcare Foundation. In this capacity, Dr. Schleicher works with students and organizations to expand Montana’s IBH workforce and serve as a resource for organizations incorporating IBH principles into their clinics.

Programs that support students interested in IBH

Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program: Behavioral Health in the Big Sky Innovative Approaches to Integrated Care

The Behavioral Health Workforce Education Training (BHWET) grant administered by the Health Research Services Agency (HRSA) and the Montana Healthcare Foundation has placed 19 University of Montana and Montana State University graduate students in Psychology, Social Work, Counselor Education, and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner graduate programs across the state of Montana in rural primary care settings. This project connects students with underserved populations who have little access to behavioral health services, while simultaneously training students in integrated behavioral health. These clinical placements include Partnership Health Center, Providence Health Services, Curry Health Center, and Tribal Health.

Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana (FMRWM)

Jennifer S. Robohm, PhD, Behavioral Science faculty for the FMRWM, has developed a field placement for graduate students with an interest in integrated behavioral health, with grant support from the Montana Healthcare Foundation. This interdisciplinary training opportunity places doctoral students in clinical psychology at Partnership Health Center (PHC), Missoula's Federally Qualified Health Center, in preparation for careers in integrated healthcare settings. The students partner with PHC patients referred by their primary care providers for time-limited, targeted consultations with a focus on such behavioral health concerns such as smoking cessation, healthy weight management, chronic pain, insomnia, and stress management. Students also co-facilitate a weekly cognitive-behavioral chronic pain group with Dr. Robohm and engage in group prenatal visits with the family medicine residents.

The University of Montana Health Medicine Department (UMHM) has several additional opportunities for students interested in integrated care. UMHM seeks to advance academic healthcare opportunities for UM students, while also enhancing

the quality of healthcare provided to Montanans. UMHM connects the academic programs and clinical expertise across the University of Montana with the medical community of Western Montana and the greater region.

Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) Courses at UM

Courses about integrated behavioral health allow students to gain first-hand knowledge of IBH initiatives in the state and nationwide. These courses are interdisciplinary, with students from psychology, counselor education, and social work. An interdisciplinary approach allows students to share their experiences and learn from each other. Some of the course offerings related to IBH include the following:

• PSYX 406 Rural Integrated Behavioral Health Care for Montana
• PSYX 530 Clinical Interviewing
• PSYX 532 Advanced Psychopathology
• PSYX 604 Psychological Intervention in Rural Integrated Behavioral Health
• PSYX 631 Behavioral Medicine/Clinical Health Psychology
• PSYX 631 Substance Misuse
• PSYX 631 Motivational Interviewing
• PSYX 632 Advanced Multicultural Psychology

Programs that provide students with integrated care experiences

Improving Health Among Rural Montanans (IPHARM)

IPHARM's mission is to provide wellness screenings to people throughout Montana who may otherwise be unable to access such services. Additionally, the program provides patient care experience for students in their last professional year in the study of pharmacy, physical therapy, nursing and other health care fields. The IPHARM team, comprised of the coordinating pharmacist and students from various disciplines, holds events to screen people for problems with cholesterol, bone density, blood pressure, diabetes, depression and memory loss, as well as other conditions. After the testing is completed, an IPHARM team member counsels each individual on the results and discusses any recommendations

Montana Geriatric Education Center (MTGEC)

The Montana Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (MGWEP) provides geriatric education and training for Montana health professionals, higher education faculty, and health professions students so that they might better meet the health needs of the older residents of the state. Programming continues to be developed and refined for a variety of health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, physicians, physician assistants, mental health providers and social workers.

Campus Care Consortium

Recognizing that interprofessional education, integration and teamwork are the future of healthcare, UM faculty and staff have come together to create the Campus Care Consortium (CCC) to overcome barriers that have made it difficult for healthcare trainees at the University of Montana to learn "about, from, and with" each other. The CCC was established in 2015 with a mission of promoting interprofessional education and collaboration at UM. Through the CCC, trainees working at on-campus clinics collaborate with each other and with trainees from other health-related disciplines to enhance communication, consultation, and referrals between programs in ways that improve interprofessional training and patient care. To find out more and discovery ways you can get involved, please visit University of Montana Health & Medicine or email umhm@umontana.edu.

Friday Medical Conference

Join UMHM for Friday Medical Conference (FMC), a weekly Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunity for physicians, healthcare professionals, and several healthcare student programs. This 'Grand Rounds' style lecture series provides a cross-section of recent advances in medicine along with clinical etiology, diagnosis, and management information. During its long tenure, and throughout each conference year, topics have addressed infectious and vaccine-preventable diseases; endocrinology; gynecology; ethical issues; patient management; immunology; internal medicine; neurology; and a myriad of medical sub-specialties. With a commitment to education and continued learning, this interdisciplinary conference's goal is to ultimately improve patient care and outcomes. Please contact umhm@umontana.edu for more information.

Counselor Education Workshop Series

The Department of Counselor Education offers a series of workshops each semester for practicing professionals and graduate students in the health sciences. Fall workshops center around specialty areas in counseling children and families and Spring workshops focus on issues specific to counseling couples. Workshops take place on four Fridays during the academic semester and can be taken individually or as a series. The Department of Counselor Education has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 3033). UM students can also complete the workshop series for 2 graduate credits/semester. For a list of current workshop offerings, please contact counselored@mso.umt.edu

Clinical Opportunities

Interested in gaining valuable clinical experience and training? An important way to learn about our healthcare system is to do hands-on work in a health field. Qualified UM students have the opportunity to work in paid positions as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) or Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA's), both of which require formal training. It's also possible to volunteer and job shadow at a local medical facility on or off campus. Missoula's two local hospitals, Community Medical Center (with hyperlink: http://communitymed.org/) and St. Patrick Hospital (with hyperlink: https://montana.providence.org/locations-directory/s/st-patrick-hospital), both of which provide comprehensive and specialty care, have individuals that coordinate and supervise volunteers and students who are looking for job shadowing opportunities. There may be additional opportunities at Curry Health Center at the University of Montana, Partnership Health Center, and Kalispell Regional Healthcare.

To learn more about clinical experiences at UMHM’s hospital partner facilities, please visit the hospital website directly or contact umhm@umontana.edu

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The work upon which this web site is based was funded through a grant awarded by the Montana Healthcare Foundation.

Disclaimer: The statements and conclusions on this site are those of the Grantee and not necessarily those of the Montana Healthcare Foundation. The Montana Healthcare Foundation makes no warranties, express or implied, and assumes no liability for the information contained on this site.