Management coursework in graduate behavioral health programs.

Many behavioral health professionals eventually assume managerial roles; therefore the extent to which graduate behavioral health programs adequately prepare them for these roles is of concern. To examine this issue, directors from graduate behavioral health training programs were surveyed about whether organizational behavior coursework was routinely provided to their students. Results indicated that while this coursework was provided in most social work and psychiatric nursing programs, only a minority of clinical psychology and psychiatry residency programs offered it. These findings suggest that psychiatrists and psychologists may need more preparation than their non-doctoral-level colleagues to assume administrative positions, and that health administration programs may do well to develop continuing education programs geared specifically toward these groups.