The DBH is a global, interdisciplinary degree program that offers an innovative curriculum, direct patient care internship experience in an integrated primary care placement and an applied research project for domestic and international students. This degree is designed for those with prior completed clinical training and supervised clinical experience. Program clinical interns operate within the scope of clinical practice dictated by their existing state-issued license. The Doctor of Behavioral Health program of study does not provide a pathway to licensure.
Clinical concentration students learn how to develop and implement evidence-based interprofessional practices that are tailored to fit the needs of the local community, patient populations and health care systems. Students are prepared to anticipate trends in health care policy and to leverage their expertise using clinical practice skills, quality improvement approaches, population health strategies and health care cost management to thrive in the evolving health care marketplace.
The curriculum addresses the problem of poor health outcomes, barriers to patient access, and rising health care costs by preparing students to achieve the Quadruple Aim in health care of improved patient experience of care, population health management, cost savings and improved team satisfaction. Students learn to demonstrate cost savings and return on investment by developing a business case for integrated care. With a focus on team-based, whole person care, students learn strategies to improve team satisfaction that integrates behavioral health into traditional medical settings.
The student learning experience includes easy access to online articles, videos and websites; weekly live webinars led by faculty experienced in the field; live peer student interactions; and written assignments that parallel the writing used for clinical and business proposals.
In the culminating project, students address a primary care clinic's clinical, operational or financial challenge using the quality improvement model to solve key problems. Examples include how to support improved patient outcomes, improve organizational processes and integrated care clinical outcomes, or decrease provider stress and burnout by training them to use resources more efficiently.
The internship program is hands-on in a local primary care clinic with in-person consultation by a licensed faculty member in a weekly small group webinar format. Students also have a site preceptor with whom they collaborate in support of the patient-centered medical home and accountable care organization approaches to primary care. Students on the clinical track are independently licensed in their respective fields and collaboratively work with their internship site preceptor who is a trained medical professional not necessarily in their field of practice. This is consistent with an interprofessional team approach.
Students may join special research projects or have the opportunity for a semester of study abroad. The faculty are seasoned professionals and content experts representing clinical practice, management and applied research in integrated care.