Integrated Behavioral Health Training for BH staff- May 2020 

Facilitator: Nick Szubiak, Principal, NSI Strategies

Nick Szubiak brings more than 20 years of experience in direct service, administration and clinical experience to the healthcare field. He is the Principal of NSI Strategies, an organization that provides support to integrated healthcare environments. Nick is the former Assistant Vice-President of Addiction and Recovery at the National Council for Behavioral Health. He has provided technical assistance, consultation and training toward bi-directional integration of behavioral health and primary care, medication assisted treatment (MAT), SBIRT, measurement-based care, and population health management.  His experience includes MAT implementation, FQHC integration models and partnerships, trauma informed care, recovery-oriented systems of care, health homes, and developing high functioning teams to provide integrated care to the communities they serve. His expertise also involves systems change management, leadership development and supervisory skills. Nick is known for his heartfelt presentations and has sat on various expert panels, partnering with many organizations as a subject matter expert.  Nick is an adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii, Myron B. Thomas School of Social Work. He earned his master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University.

Training Overview:

During this two-day virtual training experience, providers and staff of integrated behavioral health programs will learn and practice skills to advance integrated behavioral health (IBH) practice among Washington, DC Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Participants will refine skills for team-based communication and coordination of services, engaging in roleplays and discussion to work through common scenarios in team-based care. In addition, the training will review essential skills for practicing in a primary care setting, including scheduling and documentation. Participants will learn approaches for developing sustainable IBH practices and using data as an agent of change. Participants will also practice applying behavioral health skills to common clinical and behavioral problems seen in primary care, including behavioral activation planning, problem solving therapy, and motivational interviewing.  

• This virtual training will be a mix of pre-recorded, live, and offline/self-facilitated sessions to allow for flexibility in completing the training.
• We will be asking behavioral health staff to work with colleagues from their health center to create “Start-Stop-Continue” action plans to incorporate new skills and knowledge gained. Prior to the training, we will email health center groups so that staff can be aware of all of their health center colleagues who will participate in the training and coordinate with them to complete their health center action plans.
• The training agenda is available here.

Learning Objectives:

After participating in this training, participants will be able to:

1.    Describe the core features of the integrated behavioral health model, including evidence for effective integrated behavioral health.
2.    Learn the basic skills required for efficient and effective brief behavioral health consults.
3.    Refine skills for team-based communication and coordination of services.
4.    Practice applying behavioral health skills to common clinical and behavioral problems seen in primary care.
5.    Identify steps toward improving practice management through initial and follow-up visit coordination.
6.    Develop methods for measuring impact of integrated behavioral health.
7.    Describe approaches for developing a sustainable IBH business model by improving documentation and assessment to maximize revenue for services provided

Who Should Attend: Behavioral health providers and behavioral health staff at DC community health center

Cost: Free for staff of DCPCA member organizations.  If you are a member, please use your work e-mail address to sign up. If you are not a member, but would like to attend this training, please e-mail Melissa Mayer, QI Specialist, at mmayer@dcpca.org