The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and Northland Pioneer College (NPC) are proud to announce a new joint initiative aimed at promoting mental health awareness and creating a supportive environment for behavioral health Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) students, faculty, staff, and workforce. Through this collaboration, the colleges have received an additional $500,000 in joint activity funding from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to develop a statewide Healthy Practices Program. The funding will support a series of workshops designed to equip participants with the necessary skills to handle mental health crises and foster healthy environments. In addition to these workshops, the funding will allow both colleges to collaborate and share curriculum in an effort to meet the statewide behavioral health workforce need.
“We are proud to partner with NPC and to be at the forefront of this important issue,” said Rochelle Rivas, MCCCD Director of Healthcare Education. “By working together, we can make a real difference in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff. The program will not only benefit our districts but also the broader impact by allowing us to offer these workshops to HCBS providers throughout Arizona and create opportunities for students to pursue meaningful careers in the behavioral health field.”
Workshops will be offered to college faculty and staff, as well as HCBS providers. These professional development trainings will focus on sharing knowledge, addressing best practices, and discussing emerging trends in the behavioral health field.
In addition to providing valuable workshops, the program also includes a “train the trainer” component. This will allow participating entities to build sustainable workshops and continue the efforts beyond the lifespan of the funding. Along with the continuing education courses, the two college systems will create additional curricula and micocredentials to support the behavioral health HCBS workforce.
“Behavioral health has significant impacts on communities both large and small across the state,” said Jeremy Raisor, NPC Dean of Career and Technical Education. “It is great to be able to collaborate on this critical initiative, which expands educational opportunities in this much-needed field. We are excited to help provide these resources to key stakeholders, and we look forward to implementing these strategies made possible in partnership with MCCCD and AHCCCS."
As part of the partnership, MCCCD will develop a pathway program for NPC students who have received an Associate of Applied Science in Behavioral Health Sciences to seamlessly transfer to MCCCD’s Behavioral Science Baccalaureate Degree program. This will provide students with a straightforward and efficient path to continue their education and advance their careers in the behavioral health field.
The joint activity funds will maximize opportunities to strengthen behavioral health HCBS efforts throughout Arizona. The partnership between MCCCD and NPC is a testament to their commitment to addressing mental health and creating healthier communities.