The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has compiled a new list of resources to support those working with vulnerable populations. Resources include toolkits, websites, webinars, and articles. Topics range from supporting immigrant children and families, trauma informed care for unaccompanied children, and working cross culturally with families.

Toolkit for Indian/Alaska Native Transgender and Two-Spirit Youth

The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) features Celebrating Our Magic, a toolkit created for American Indian/Alaska Native youth who identify as transgender or Two-Spirit, their relatives, and health providers who care for them. The goals of the publication include reducing disparities in access to healthcare and increasing tribal clinic capacity and awareness.

The Mountain West AIDS Education and Training Center delivers innovative training to improve access to care and quality of life for people with or at increased risk for acquiring HIV.

From the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Kaiser Permanente, click to access Fostering Resilience and Recovery: A Change Package. This field-informed guide developed by the nation's most influential leaders shaping trauma-informed approaches gives actionable guidance to create a framework to implement a trauma-informed initiative, along with scripts, tools, concrete strategies and recommendations that will help you create a healthier work environment, develop trauma-informed approaches and improve patient outcomes.

The Northwest Center for Public Health Practice has training materials and other resources ranging from models for addressing racism and belonging, leadership development, learning for systems change, and more.

Creating a Learning Agenda for Systems Change:  A Toolkit for Building an Adaptive Healthcare Workforce is a free resource from the Public Health Learning Network.

The Washington Physicians Health Program is an independent, non-profit organization that was established in 1986. It is a physician-led program with an experienced staff dedicated to helping healthcare professionals while promoting patient safety. WPHP assists healthcare professionals with medical conditions that may affect their ability to practice medicine safely. These conditions include substance use and behavioral health disorders, as well as physical and cognitive disorders. WPHP is a confidential resource to the maximum extent provided by law. Visit WPHP.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School is a not-for-profit global learning community offering online courses, project-based learning, and learning community. Some courses are paid for through subscription, but the IHI Open School also contains free videos and case studies with discussion questions, a list of other resources on patient safety, quality improvement, leadership, and system design, and tips/resources related to publishing work.

The Area Health Education Center for Western Washington (AHECWW)  is proud to partner with the Washington Healthcare Access Alliance to release the 2021 Washington State Primary Care Needs Assessment (PCNA).  

This report provides an overview of primary care capacity in Washington and identifies priorities for programming and legislation. An advisory committee of diverse area experts was consulted in regard to structure, content, and sources. Data included were collected from a wide range of public, private, and for-profit and nonprofit partners in the fields of healthcare, economics, education, and social services. 

The full report is available here.

PCNA development was supported by the Washington State Department of Health Primary Care Office.

The Weitzman Institute is the first community-based research center established by a Federally Qualified Health Center. It is dedicated to quality improvement and research in primary care for the underserved. They test promising innovations in primary care delivery and establish research priorities for Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI). Visit the Weitzman Institute to learn more about the resources they offer, including practice transformation support, Project ECHO for Chronic Pain and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), eConsult, QI education, and workforce development. Though offices are located in Colorado and Connecticut, Weitzman Institute programs have a presence in 37 states (including Washington), bringing services to health centers and practices across the country.

The National LGBTQIA Health Education Center provides educational programs, resources, and consultation to health care organizations with the goal of optimizing quality, cost-effective health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all sexual and gender minority people.

The Education Center is a part of The Fenway Institute, the research, training, and health policy division of Fenway Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, and one of the world’s largest LGBTQIA-focused health centers.

HEALWA is the on-call library for Washington state practitioners, and is a free resource for any healthcare provider licensed in Washington state.

TeleBehavioral Health 101 ongoing virtual.  UW Medicine Harborview Medical Center Behavioral Health Institute offers TeleBehavioral Health 101, a free six-part webinar series.  The first session of the series meets the requirements for telehealth training as established by Washington SB6061, effective January 2021 and can be completed here.

On-demand Trainings Offered through Indian Health Service Various on-demand training offered in a self-paced format on topics such as Compassion Fatigue, Trauma Informed Care, Pain and Addiction, SBIRT, and more. Various CE options available, including CME and CNE.

Implementing Telemedicine Webinar Series: In this free, 6-session webinar series you will learn to develop a strategy, help patients connect, get Medicare reimbursements, and document a telemedicine visit.  Privacy, security, IT technology, telemedicine etiquette, & professionalism discussed.

Mental Health First Aid classes are available throughout communities in western Washington. AHECWW periodically offers these courses from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Participants receive Mental Health First Aid resources and a national certificate valid for three years.

View a list of upcoming trainings on our Mental Health First Aid page.

The Workforce Development Council has several helpful “Map Your Career” paths including a Career Path in Healthcare with a visual map.

Career Bridge is brought to you by the state’s Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. Career Bridge is a website where you can explore careers, view job trends, and find education programs.

Stackable certificate programs are comprised of a series of certificates that can be “stacked” together for a degree. This type of program is especially useful for healthcare professionals who wish to continue working while studying. Programs that offer stackable certificates include:

• Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
• University of Alaska Southeast
• National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
• Alaska Federal Health Care Access Network (AFHCAN)
• Arizona Telemedicine Program
• Thomas Jefferson University
• Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Science and Health University

The University of Washington IDEA Platform contains four online curricula for those practicing in a clinical setting to enhance their skills and knowledge on infectious diseases. Free CME and CNE are available for the following curricula:

• National HIV Curriculum
• National STD Curriculum
• Hepatitis C Online
• Hepatitis B Online

3RNet (National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network) is a non-profit listing healthcare job openings and opportunities in Washington State. Register and use the 3RNet job board to find current openings from a user-friendly public service organization. A valuable partner for professionals who want to serve in rural and under served areas in Washington, 3RNet helps you navigate loan repayment programs and more.

The J-1 Visa Waiver Program is administered through the Washington State Department of Health.

The Washington State Health Service Corps was established by the Legislature to address health professional shortages in rural and under served urban communities. The program helps the state attract and retain licensed health professionals to serve in our state by providing a Loan Repayment Program (LRP) to eligible providers serving at pre-approved sites. There are currently three LRPs available:

• the State Health Program (SHP),
• the Federal Health Program (FHP),
• the new Behavioral Health Program (BHP).

If you are interested in learning more about the Washington State loan repayment options, the Washington Student Achievement Council website has additional details.

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) provides scholarships and loan repayments to encourage primary care and other clinical care providers to serve in health professional shortage areas, addressing the scarcity of health professionals in needy communities. There are a variety of loan repayment program (LRP) options offered annually to address health profession shortages. The primary NHSC LRP service commitment is two years, with full-time and part-time options for a variety of health professionals. If you are interested in applying for the National Loan Repayment Programs, sign up for email updates and read the program guidance carefully.

For a general overview of loan repayment options, please visit the Washington Health Workforce Gateway site to learn more about each option. Program details are subject to change including overall program funding, award amounts, contractual obligations and rules. Be sure to read reference and program guides carefully.

Learn about the credentialing requirements for various healthcare professionals, from Washington State Department of Health.

Credentialing for Nurses

The Washington State Department of Health website provides specifics for Nurse Licensing and Continuing Education Competency Audits. Suicide Prevention continuing education training has been required since July 2017.

View a list of suicide prevention and behavioral health hotlines including the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, National Sexual Assault Hotline, and Treatment referral Line.

The Rural Health Information Hub provides an evidence-based on-line toolkit to support organizations working to prevent suicide in rural communities across the U.S. A series of seven modules contain focused resources on developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining rural suicide prevention programs. The toolkit was produced by the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center.

Depression screening tools: Access screening tools for anxiety disorders and depression, from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. These screenings are meant to be used by patients as a screening tool that can be shared with a provider.

All Patients Safe is a three or six-hour self-paced training to help providers become better skilled at suicide prevention. This training meets Washington State's licensure requirements for health care providers to assist in reducing suicide through improved trainings. Providers affiliated with the University of Washington Physicians, Seattle Children's active medical staff, or Seattle Children's Care Network can take either version of the training for free. Register here.

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, contains a wealth of information on treating substance use disorders and mental health disorders. Click on “publications” to access many free resources geared towards providers.

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health has developed a compendium of all Rural Opioid Educational Resources available across their website to aid individuals looking for education, tools, and other resources. This includes reports, webinar presentations, meeting presentations, and a compendium of resources and lessons learned from grantees of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy’s Rural Opioid Overdose Reversal (ROOR) grant program. As new resources become available, more information will be added. Visit the NOSORH page.

The Washington Physicians Health Program is an independent, nonprofit organization that was established in 1986. It is a physician-led program with an experienced staff dedicated to helping healthcare professionals while promoting patient safety. WPHP assists healthcare professionals with medical conditions that may affect their ability to practice medicine safely. These conditions include substance use and behavioral health disorders, as well as physical and cognitive disorders. WPHP is a confidential resource to the maximum extent provided by law.

Other training courses that The Washington Physicians Health Program offers so that physicians can better serve others include Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers, Compassion Cultivation Training, and Mind Body Medicine. Visit the WPHP website for more information.

National Academy of Medicine
A substantial list of resources from global health organizations, U.S. government agencies, and other organizations to support the health and well-being of clinicians.

Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
Offering training, technical assistance, and products to support provider well-being, particularly for behavioral health providers.

Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine
Offering weekly Friday wellness webinars and Monday morning meditations for healthcare professionals.

Washington State Department of Health
Behavioral health resources and recommendations for various populations, including healthcare professionals.

The University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences launched a new service to help prescribing providers in Washington — including providers in the UW Medicine Accountable Care Network — receive clinical advice regarding adult patients (18+) with mental health and/or substance use disorders. Funded by the Washington State Legislature, the UW Psychiatry Consultation Line (PCL) helps address the severe shortage of mental health professionals in the state by providing consultation to providers working in primary care clinics, community hospitals, emergency departments, and county and municipal correctional facilities.

How does PCL work?

Providers call 877-WA-PSYCH (877-927-7924) and after a short intake with a UW health navigator, are connected to a UW psychiatrist. At the conclusion of the conversation, the UW psychiatrist will send a brief written documentation of the recommendations to the caller via email.

The consultation line is staffed 24/7. There is no limit to how many times a provider can call. UW website offers additional information.

The University of Washington Partnership Access Line for Moms (PAL for Moms) is a free telephone consultation service for health care providers caring for patients with mental health problems who are pregnant, postpartum, or planning pregnancy. Any health care provider in Washington State can receive consultation, recommendations, and referrals to community resources from a psychiatrist with expertise in perinatal mental health. The consultation line is now open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (Pacific). Providers can call at any time and receive a call back within one working day. Call 877-725-4666 (PAL4MOM). You can also email with any questions or to schedule a consultation (ppcl@uw.edu). Visit the UW Maternal-Child Mental Health Program website for more information about the PAL line and other programs supporting maternal-child mental health.

The Partnership Access Line (PAL) supports primary care providers (doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) with questions about mental health care such as diagnostic clarification, medication adjustment or treatment planning. Our child and adolescent psychiatrists are available to consult during business hours.

PAL has a master’s-level social worker available to assist with finding mental health resources for your patients. PAL is also partnered with Washington’s Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens, where families can speak directly with a referral specialist.

Call 866-599-7257 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific time, to be directly connected to a PAL child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Project Goal

The Northwest Health Career Path (NWHCP) seeks to connect underrepresented students of all ages who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare with opportunities that will help them to achieve their goal.

The project creates collaboration among a wide spectrum of career outreach programs to help form "career pathways" throughout our region. Health career pathways provide an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds to explore health careers through experiential learning.

Put your health career pathway program on our map to help us develop a comprehensive environmental scan of health career pathway programs in the WWAMI region. Together we will work toward developing a tool that will help make health careers more accessible to all.

Summit

In addition to improving the visibility of learning opportunities for underrepresented students, we also work to bolster communication between the pathway programs themselves. We create opportunities for staff, faculty, and students to come together each year at the annual Northwest Health Career Path Summit. Participants are given the opportunity to share their knowledge on how to remove the barriers that underrepresented students face in moving forward with their dreams. This summit is also a great venue for networking, professional development, and collaboration.

 If you would like to be added to the mailing list for updates and announcements regarding our annual summit, email mkeyes@whatcom.edu,