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UNC-PrimeCare in full swing

UNC-PrimeCare, the federally funded program to train and educate the behavioral health workforce, is in full swing. This year, there are 38 final year MSW students and four final year Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students who comprise the UNC-PrimeCare 2018-2019 cohort. UNC-PrimeCare was initially funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2014 and received an additional four years of funding in 2017. The program is a supplemental training program that teaches students the skills needed to work with under-served groups, such as behavioral health care specialists and members of integrated health care teams.

This year’s MSW cohort is comprised of:

  • Nine Advanced Standing students
  • 20 Full-Time students
  • Four Triangle Distant Education students
  • Five Winston Salem Distance Education students

Five PrimeCare students are also studying for the Substance Use and Addictions Specialist requirements.

The PrimeCare program is led by clinical associate professor Lisa Zerden and program director Meryl Kanfer from the School of Social Work and assistant professor Cheryl Woods-Giscombe from the School of Nursing. Team member and social work clinical professor Anne Jones retired in August 2018.

This year’s PrimeCare trainees have completed the course, “Integrated Behavioral Health Care with Underserved Populations.” On Nov. 30, students will attend the workshop, “Integrated Health Care for Individuals Diagnosed with Severe Mental Illness” and participate in a seminar focused on “Health Literacy in Primary Care.”  Students will participate in additional supplemental trainings in the spring and will produce a capstone project that will be available on the project website.

For more information go to the UNC-PrimeCare website.