Behavioral Health Staff: Training & Workforce Development

BHRS Workforce, Education, and Training (WET) programming provides education/training and workforce development opportunities to San Mateo County behavioral health staff, contractors, providers, clients/consumers, and family members. Through system-wide training and workforce development initiatives, WET aims to create and sustain a diverse, culturally responsive, and clinically effective workforce that provides the best possible care for our communities.

As an MHSA-funded program, BHRS WET priorities are based on input from community stakeholders as well as county-operated and contracted alcohol and other drug (AOD) and mental health providers and staff. 

WET 10-Year Impact & Sustainability Report
SMC BHRS WET 3-Year Plan

The Workforce Development and Training programming also works in partnership with other BHRS strategic initiatives including:

• Improving health care access and equity
• Developing best practices for the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions
• Building a comprehensive suicide prevention program
• Honoring lived experience in employment
• Creating trauma-informed systems of care
• Decreasing stigma
• Increasing prevention and early intervention efforts

This site contains links to current BHRS efforts to improve behavioral health care while providing for the education and career development needs of a diverse staff, clients/consumers and family members.

Workforce Education & Training

• Register for a training on the Learning Management System (LMS)
• View the LMS training guide
• Take an Online Training (Avatar, compliance and clinical training)

Continuing Education Program Information

Upcoming Course Agendas
Continuing Education Workshop and Conference Grievance Policy
Continuing Education Grievance Form

In an effort to develop evidence based and community defined practices in the delivery of services, BHRS has adopted policies and selection standards.

• Evidence-Based and Community-Defined Practices – Policy and Proposal Form

Workforce Development Efforts

• Intern & Trainee Program
• Psychiatry Residency Training Program
• Lived Experience Speakers Bureau – consumers and family members trained to present on a number of topics.
• Lived Experience Scholarship – provides up to $500 in scholarships for current or former clients/consumers or family members to pursue their academic goals toward a behavioral health profession. In order to qualify for the Lived Experience Scholarship, the applicant must have the following:
  • Be registered for at least six units in a vocational, 2-year college, 4-year college, credential, or graduate program.
  • Desire to pursue a clinical, administrative or management career in behavioral health care.
  • Obtain signature from behavioral health care organization staff that the applicant is currently, or has been previously, a consumer or a family member of a consumer of behavioral health care services.
  • Be a resident of San Mateo County. The application process is ongoing. Apply today! Application

Resources

• Best Practices Resource Guide
• Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
• Mental Health Loan Assumption Program
• Hearing Voices - Techniques for Managing Voices that are Distressing

Committees and Workgroups

• Workforce Education & Training Committee and Lived Experience Workforce Development Workgroup

If you have questions regarding BHRS Training or Workforce Development, please contact the Office of Diversity and Equity at ODE@smcgov.org.