Behavioral Health Support (BHS)

BHS 101. Introduction to Behavioral Health Support. 3 Credit Hours.

Introduction to Behavioral Health Support will expose students to the programs and services offered by community mental health centers and other behavioral health facilities. Students will be introduced to trends in treatment, populations served, professional requirements, roles of the individual and family, and various settings within behavioral health care.
Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency

BHS 102. Legal and Ethical Issues in Behavioral Health Support. 3 Credit Hours.

Legal and Ethical Issues in Behavioral Health Support examines laws and regulations in Missouri related to behavioral health. Topics include ethical standards, personal and professional boundaries, and common legal matters facing individuals with mental health issues.
Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency

BHS 103. Systems of Care. 3 Credit Hours.

Systems of Care will introduce students to different systems in which their clients are involved. Topics will include the family, mental health, medical, other social service agencies, and schools. Students will understand the community support specialist's role in helping the client navigate those systems, including techniques for helping clients.
Prerequisites: BHS 101 with a minimum grade of "C", a qualifying background check, successful admission into the program, and Reading Proficiency

BHS 104. Clinical Encounters I: Interviewing and Assessment. 3 Credit Hours.

Clinical Encounters I: Interviewing and Assessment will teach basic interviewing skills and expose students to various screenings and assessments to use with clients. Areas addressed are outreach, stages of change, how to build rapport, the recovery process, collaborative documentation, helping versus 'doing for', crisis intervention, transitions of care, and the diagnostic interview.
Prerequisites: BHS 101 with a minimum grade of "C", a qualifying background check, successful admission into the program, and Reading Proficiency

BHS 105. Integrated Health. 3 Credit Hours.

Integrated Health exposes students to the kinds of chronic diseases and health care issues experienced by those within behavioral health settings. They will learn about signs and symptoms, best practices for management, challenges related to treatment of co-occurring conditions and chronic health issues. Topics related to overall client wellness and support worker self-care will also be covered.
Prerequisites: BHS 101 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency

BHS 201. Clinical Encounters II: Crisis and Interventions. 3 Credit Hours.

Clinical Encounters II: Crisis and Interventions will help students understand basic crisis intervention, conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques. Course topics will include guardianship, involuntary detention, custody issues, and signs and symptoms of mental health diagnoses. Students will gain experience in documentation, assessment, screening tools and goal setting with clients.
Prerequisites: BHS 104 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency

BHS 202. Behavioral Health Support Practicum I. 4 Credit Hours.

Behavioral Health Support Practicum I will give students the opportunity to gain practical experience and observation in a behavioral health setting, working with individuals, families, and communities. Students will learn the structure and function of a mental health provider and integrate theory and practice. Individual behavioral health settings may have additional requirements. See program Handbook for details.
Prerequisites: BHS 101, BHS 102, BHS 103, BHS 104 with minimum grades of "C", and Reading Proficiency

BHS 203. Evidence Based Treatment. 4 Credit Hours.

Evidence Based Treatment will expose future behavioral health support workers to commonly used mental health prevention and intervention approaches. Students will learn widely-used best practices including behavioral, supportive, talk-therapy and medication assisted treatments.
Prerequisites: BHS 201 with a minimum grade of "C" and Reading Proficiency

BHS 204. Behavioral Health Support Practicum II. 4 Credit Hours.

Behavioral Health Support Practicum II offers students continued applied experience in a behavioral health setting. Students will engage in supervised interactions working with individuals, families, and communities experiencing a variety of behavioral health issues. Individual behavioral health settings may have additional requirements. See program Handbook for details.
Prerequisites: BHS 202 with a grade of 'C' or better, and Reading Proficiency