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Agency Partners

The Washington State Behavioral Health Workforce Development Initiative (WDI) is a collaborative response between 12 universities and more than 100 community-based behavioral health agencies and tribal health centers across the state. Community behavioral health agencies provide essential substance use and mental health treatment to people using public funding, such as Medicaid. Because behavioral health is integral to physical health (and vice versa), community behavioral health agencies play a critical role in creating healthy and thriving communities. More than 100 community behavioral health agencies and tribal health centers in Washington serve as student training sites and potential future employers of conditional grant students in the Ballmer Behavioral Health Scholarship Program. This on-the-ground training helps to ensure that students gain the right set of skills and confidence to make a lasting impact in the communities they serve.
 
Please find a list of WDI’s community behavioral health and tribal health agencies here. To learn more about the WDI agency criteria, please find eligibility information here.
 

Participating Agencies & Field Site Involvement:

If your agency is found on the WDI list, please do the following steps to inquire about hosting a practicum student with your agency and collaborating with the UW-Seattle School of Social Work:
 
  1. Confirm your agency is on the WDI-approved behavioral health agency list.
  2. Create field-education opportunities at your site, and reach out to the School of Social Work field office if you do not have an affiliation agreement in place. Please complete this Agency/Field Instructor Interest Form and reach out to our field office if you have questions about being a practicum site or field instructor. Please reach out to Sofie Aaron, UW-Seattle SSW WDI Coordinator, if you have WDI program-specific questions.
  3. Hire a current UW MSW student who has been approved for the Workforce Development Initiative conditional grant!

What it means

The term community-based behavioral health services refers to Medicaid-funded, out-patient treatment for mental health or substance-use issues.

Did you know?

Participating agencies receive $1,000 for each WDI-supported student who successfully completes one year of field education at the agency site.