The vast majority of students enrolled in behavioral health programs are studying through programs at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA, 77 percent of enrollment in 2005). The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) programs tend to focus most specifically on the issues and strengths of Alaska Native cultures. All three major academic units (UAA, UAF, and the University of Alaska Southeast, or UAS) rely on cohort learning models to enhance the quality of the student experience.  They rely on distance delivery to expand their course offerings to students across the state. The College of Rural and Community Development delivers courses on site in some rural campuses as well.

Highlights of the BHA slideshow

Behavioral Health Alliance Charter:

BHA is a cross-campus University of Alaska interdisciplinary task group has been formed to identify issues concerning behavioral health programs in the UA system and to work collaboratively to enhance communication, coordination and collaboration between and within academic disciplines. Participants will include deans, directors, and faculty from all three University of Alaska campuses.

Alliance members believe there is a need for the University to respond as one orginazation to industry regarding plans for behavioral health professional education. They believe that there should be a coordinated approach to industry to solicit feedback and help prioritize programs for development. The Alliance will serve that purpose.

Operating Principles:

• The Alliance will strive to achieve curricular consistency across campuses when possible and preferable, and to provide as much instruction as feasible in a distance-delivered mode.

• The Alliance needs faculty input. A faculty member from each campus will be included in the  group.

• All campuses will support the Alliance with travel funds for meetings as possible.

• The Alliance will invite industry partners, both general and discipline specific, to work on needs  assessment, prioritization, and program development.

• The Alliance will provide a forum for faculty to dialogue across campuses regarding behavioral health and related programs.

 Accomplishments to date:

• Collaboration with behavioral health providers to identify priority educational and training needs in children's mental health for practitioners in Alaska.

• Coordinating efforts to incorporate children's mental health and systems of care content into university-wide curriculum.

• Integrating cross-cultural knowledge and understanding across behavioral health disciplines.

• Creating better alignment of internship and federal state Barrier Crimes legislation.

• Building capacity for effective distance education in behavioral health programs.

Minutes Fall 2010

Minutes Spring 2011
 

FY12 Meetings:

December 02, 2011: Fairbanks UAF campus  Access Agenda and Handouts here Meeting Minutes

February 24, 2012: Anchorage UAA campus  Access Agenda Here Meeting Minutes

April 06, 2012: Fairbanks UAF campus Access Agenda here Meeting Minutes

FINAL REPORT FY12: Report  Course Flyer

FY13 Meetings:

November 02, 2012: Anchorage UAA campus  Access Agenda Here   Meeting Minutes

April 19, 2013: Fairbanks UAF campus   Access Agenda Here   ARBHTA Map  Meeting Minutes

Sheila Soule, 907-786-4853, sjsoule@uaa.alaska.edu