Continuous Professional Development

We are working towards a time where everyone living with a mental health or substance use disorder receives effective care for mental health, physical health, and substance use problems. Our Professional Development opportunities for existing mental health specialists and other healthcare providers create more access points to effective mental health care. Below is a sampling of what we offer, with more to be added soon.

Training for Psychiatrists

In partnership with the American Psychiatric Association, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences developed an online training module designed to teach psychiatrists the principles behind effective integrated care and the skills necessary to provide psychiatric consultation to an integrated care team. “Applying the Integrated Care Approach” focuses on Collaborative Care, a type of integrated care that has emerged as the strongest evidence-based approach as demonstrated through numerous clinical trials. Psychiatrists learn how to adapt psychiatric skills for team-based patient assessment and treatment, incorporate Collaborative Care principles into current practice, and start a new Collaborative Care team or improve upon an existing one. CME credit is available.

The Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions (AIMS) Center offers implementation support to organizations planning and implementing patient-centered, evidence-based integrated care. The specific configuration of services is customized to meet the needs of each implementing organization or initiative and can include in-person training and/or distance learning courses in core content areas such as clinical preparedness, team communication, and brief intervention therapies proven to work in primary care. The AIMS Center trains all members of the integrated care team including care managers, primary care providers, psychiatric consultants, and leadership and administrators.

Training for Other Healthcare Professionals

All Patients Safe is an interactive, online suicide prevention training made by and for medical professionals. It offers an engaging and informative option for providers to become better skilled at suicide prevention. Perspectives of real patients coupled with practical skills help medical providers transfer what they learn to their practice and community. Both the three-hour and six-hour version of this course meets Washington State’s licensure requirements for health care providers to assist in reducing suicide through improved trainings. Whether you need the three- or six-hour version depends on your profession. Learn more

PEARLS is a national evidence-based program for late-life depression that brings high quality mental health care into community-based settings that reach vulnerable older adults. A two-day PEARLS training is designed to equip all members of a PEARLS team – including both counselors and administrators – to implement PEARLS successfully in their organization. Learn more

CALM Tools for Living is a web-based tool that guides patients, with the assistance of a clinician, through a structured therapeutic approach (CALM) that has been demonstrated to be effective in helping people reduce their anxiety and depression symptoms. CALM is an application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that is short-term, flexible, and designed to help clinicians who are not necessarily experts in CBT to deliver the intervention. CALM Tools for Living is available for use by clinicians or agencies. Learn more

The Institute serves as a statewide resource to promote high quality mental health services for children and youth in Washington State. EBPI collaborates with the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, the Health Care Authority, Behavioral Health Organizations, community stakeholders and family and youth advocacy. Learn more

The Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions (AIMS) Center offers implementation support to organizations planning and implementing patient-centered, evidence-based integrated care. The specific configuration of services is customized to meet the needs of each implementing organization or initiative and can include in-person training and/or distance learning courses in core content areas such as clinical preparedness, team communication, and brief intervention therapies proven to work in primary care. The AIMS Center trains all members of the integrated care team including care managers, primary care providers, psychiatric consultants, and leadership and administrators.