University Oregon trains new class of healthcare workers to fill gaps and improve youth mental health

The start of the new school year brings the usual set of challenges for students as they navigate new schedules, lesson plans and social dynamics. Those changes can also take a toll on a student’s mental health. A survey conducted in 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found, for example, that 40% of high school students nationwide reported depressive symptoms - an increase of more than 10% since 2013. Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory in 2021 warning about worsening youth mental health, exacerbated by the pandemic and excessive use of social media.  

The Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health at University of Oregon is working to help address this crisis of youth mental health. Launched in 2022, the institute is pioneering the first program of its kind in the nation to educate and train a new class of healthcare workers: child behavioral health specialists. The 4-year program provides an alternative to the additional years and cost a student would typically have to spend in graduate school to become, for example, a school psychologist or social worker. Instead, the undergraduates in the program obtain 700 hours of applied training that starts their junior year with internships at Portland area schools, clinics and community organizations. While they can’t provide diagnoses or conduct psychological evaluations, the interns can help prevent and mitigate behavioral health challenges by teaching, for example, problem-solving strategies or coping skills kids can use during stressful situations.  

Joining us for more details are Cody Ghion, an assistant clinical professor at UO’s Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health; Sophia Morgan, a UO senior and child behavioral health intern who is currently working at a high school in Portland for students in recovery from substance use; and Anne Libby, who is also a UO senior and child behavioral health intern currently working at a pediatric clinic in Hillsboro.