This multi-year effort is the first major initiative undertaken by the Network and its goal is to increase the number of individuals working in the behavioral health field. Supported by grants from United Way of Greater Houston, Houston Endowment, and the Meadows Foundation, the project begins with a high school awareness-building component and continues through post-secondary and graduate level programs. Working as a partner with the Network is the Greater Houston Area Education Center (AHEC), a nonprofit whose focus in on healthcare workforce development with an emphasis on cultural diversity.
The Pathways Project is based on a model that believes that four different “E”s are pivotal in bringing a person into the behavioral health field.
Exposure—if a student is not even aware of the existence of a particular occupation or career opportunity, then there is virtually no chance they will consider it. And for schools offering behavioral health programs, how do they market those offerings and how stringent is their recruiting?
Education— exactly what education does the educational program offer? Can components be improved or enhanced that would increase students’ motivation to choose that specialization?
Experience—are there opportunities for hands-on experience in the educational track and are those opportunities high quality allowing the students “real” experience including such things as interning, shadowing, and mentoring?
Extra Incentives—with the high cost of education, are there things the program can offer above and beyond academic and clinical work? Tuition reimbursements, loan forgiveness programs, and other incentives can go far beyond their actual monetary worth.
