JWB Making Advanced Clinical Training Accessible to Licensed Behavioral Health Clinicians in Pinellas County

JWB’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) is a partnership dedicated to enhancing public awareness and providing for an accessible, coordinated, and high-quality system supported by an engaged and skilled workforce.

In January, CMHI broke new ground in children’s mental health by making advanced clinical training accessible to licensed behavioral health clinicians in Pinellas County.

JWB, Tampa Bay Thrives, and partners of the CMHI Workforce Design Team worked together to bring a two-day certification course in Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for licensed behavioral health clinicians to the JWB campus.

This advanced training in TF-CBT was delivered by a nationally approved TF-CBT trainer through the National Therapist Certification Program, with the aim of helping local licensed practitioners develop high-quality clinical services to increase responsiveness to the needs of children and families.

The training was facilitated by Dr. Rochelle Hanson, a nationally recognized subject matter expert whose professional experience and passion dovetail with the goals of JWB’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative. Dr. Hanson co-directs an integrated behavioral health program in pediatric primary care that includes targeted screening and referral for children who have experienced maltreatment or another traumatic event. She has focused her career on understanding and responding to victims of traumatic events, as well as training professionals to provide effective treatments for children and families.

In what is expected to be just the first round of this training, JWB funded scholarships for 15 participants from various partner and funded agencies, including Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Evara Health, North Pinellas Children’s Medical Center, Family Resources, and clinical staff from Pinellas Public Schools. In addition to the two-day training, participants must complete a specified number of consultation calls and treatment cases to complete the certification.

JWB funding covered participants’ costs directly associated with completing the program and obtaining certification as well as a stipend in the amount of $500 following the completion of certification requirements. These 15 newly certified professionals are sure impact thousands of children and families in Pinellas County in powerful and positive ways to help them thrive and succeed.

View the Facebook album of this training, and learn more about JWB commitment to children’s mental health at JWBPinellas.org/childrens-mental-health.