Trauma-Informed Interprofessional Education: Preliminary Evaluation of Building Student Capacity for System-Wide Collaboration

Introduction: In urban areas, numerous barriers exist for children and families to access needed behavioral health care. Compounding the general deficit of behavioral health workers in the United States is lack of access to culturally responsive care. Additional challenges include inherent racism and oppression in our health and human service systems and siloed approaches to behavioral health care training and practice. Integrated care is an emerging field nationally, yet training and education in integrated care is limited. This article provides an overview of the Child/Adolescent Interprofessional Practice and Education (CAIPE) program, a novel training approach in its first year of implementation for behavioral health students that prioritizes trauma-informed and social-justice oriented practice, integrated care, and interprofessional teamwork. Method: This study employs a mixed-methods approach to program evaluation. Data sources include program application materials (demographics and data related to clinical interests, student goals, and preparedness for interprofessional work). Data is also drawn from measures of student outcomes (self-efficacy navigating complex care patients, empathy, and complex care knowledge). Results: Baseline data are reported for demographics, students' goals and interprofessional interests, and student outcomes. Information is also presented relevant to trainings conducted in the grant's first year and planned for subsequent years. Preliminary data and implementation suggest that the program has drawn diverse trainees who are committed to interprofessional, integrated care for underserved youth. Discussion: Recruitment and program development challenges are discussed, along with grant goals' fit with students' interests and plans for future evaluation. Public Significance Statement In urban areas, numerous barriers exist for children and families to access needed behavioral health care. Barriers include lack of appropriate care providers who understand the cultural needs of clients and lack of communication between care providers with different professional backgrounds. This article reports on early implementation stages of a behavioral health training program for graduate students that seeks to reduce these barriers. We include preliminary data on student characteristics, what their goals and interests are for the training program, trainings provided, and how we are measuring their educational progress