Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals
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Our Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Paraprofessionals, or the Trauma-Informed Flourishcare Paraprofessional Training Program, trains individuals with lived experience in trauma and substance use, equipping them with the skills to support their communities.
Through the Kentucky Family Leadership Academy (KFLA), participants become certified as Adult Peer Support Specialists (APSS), Community Support Associates (CSA), and Trauma-Informed FlourishCare Community Health Workers (TI-FC CHWs). The program emphasizes trauma-informed and interprofessional care, preparing paraprofessionals to play an integral role in behavioral health services, particularly in underserved areas.
Program components
Experiential, trauma-informed training
Learners receive hands-on, trauma-informed training that prepares them to connect with clients on a personal level, bringing both empathy and expertise to their roles.
Community-based certification opportunities
Participants can earn certification in key support roles, gaining credentials as APSS, CSA, or TI-FC CHWs to build rewarding careers in behavioral health.
Interprofessional care integration
Paraprofessionals trained through this program work alongside primary care providers, mental health professionals, and social service teams, fostering holistic, person-centered care.
Support for employment and site integration
Program partnerships with primary care and community health sites across Kentucky provide apprentices with hands-on placements. These sites receive guidance on integrating paraprofessionals into their care teams, improving overall patient outcomes.
Training Programs Overview
The Kentucky Family Leadership Academy serves as foundational training for our Adult Peer Support Specialist curriculum and is a state-required prerequisite to training as a Family Peer Support Specialist or Youth Peer Support Specialist. In this training, learners explore the six competencies of Family Leadership, including Leadership Roles and Styles, Communication Skills, Decision Making Skills, Dealing with Conflict, Effective Advocacy, and Collaboration and Partnership. The Trager Institute is approved by the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) to provide this 15-hour training and certification.
The Adult Peer Support Specialist training prepares learners with lived experience and a desire to assist others through peer support. Adult Peer Support Specialists (PSS) are self-identified consumers of mental health, substance use, or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder services who have successfully completed the adult peer support specialist training. The role of a PSS is not to replace current clinical mental health staff but to offer additional and alternative options to help people in their efforts to recover. This curriculum explores the six competencies of Adult Peer Support, including Problem-Solving, Wellness Recovery Action Plan, Stages in the Recovery Process, Effective Listening Skills, Establishing Recovery Goals, and Using Support Groups to Promote and Sustain Recovery. The Trager Institute is approved by the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) to provide this 30-hour training and certification.
The Community Support Associate training prepares learners to be certified as Community Support Associates in Kentucky. Learners must have at least one (1) year of full-time experience working with individuals who receive services for treatment of a mental health disorder or co-occurring disorder. The training covers ten competencies, including Engaging Consumers and Family Members, Behavioral Health Crisis Management, Self-Advocacy and Navigation Skills, Behavior Modification: Planning and Implementation, Ethics, Cultural Competency, Documentation and Regulations, Mental Health and Substance Use Issues, Strength-Based Approach To Services, and Developmental Perspectives Across the Lifespan. The Trager Institute is approved by the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) to provide this 10-hour training and certification.
The Community Health Worker (Tier 1) Foundational training prepares learners for certification as Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the state of Kentucky. Our Trauma-Informed FlourishCare curriculum explores and applies all core competencies – Communication; Use of Public Health Concepts and Approaches; Organizational and Community Outreach; Advocacy and Community Capacity Building; Care Coordination and System Navigation; Health Coaching; Documentation, Reporting, and Outcome Management; and Legal, Ethical, and Professional Conduct. Community health work is a growing field of work, and our trauma-informed lens of training prepares learners to integrate community health work into any team for holistic care of all served. This curriculum is approved by the Kentucky Department for Public Health Office of Community Health Workers to provide Foundational (Tier 1) training for Community Health Workers.
The Family Peer Support Specialist training prepares learners to support children and families through peer support. Family Peer Support Specialists are self-identified parents or other family members who have lived experience with a child client receiving services related to a mental health, substance use, or co-occurring mental health and substance use disability from at least one child-serving agency. The Trager Institute is seeking approval by the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) to provide this 30-hour training and certification.
This project (M01HP424540) is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2,216,000 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.