Heidi Keeler1, Tara Sjuts2, Kosuke Niitsu3, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway4, Paul Force-Emery Mackie5, Howard Liu6. 1. College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. Electronic address: hkeeler@unmc.edu. 2. Munroe-Meyer Institute, Omaha, Nebraska. 3. College of Nursing, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. 4. Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, University of Nebraska Medical Center Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. 5. Department of Social Work, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota. 6. Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, University of Nebraska Medical Center Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The process of identifying effective responses to the challenges of placing and retaining a rural behavioral health workforce remains elusive. The Virtual Mentorship Network was developed to test the feasibility of using distance technology to connect rural students interested in mental health careers with mentors. METHODS: In Year 1, college and high school students were virtually mentored using a near-peer approach both live and asynchronously as a cohort over 7 months. In Year 2, college students only were virtually intensely mentored live over 1 month. High school students were asynchronously provided with informational videos produced by mentors. Program benefits were measured using the Mentoring Functions Questionnaire, and an activity satisfaction survey captured student response to the content and delivery methods. Retrospective analysis of Years 1 and 2 mentoring and satisfaction variables mean differences was performed and overall feasibility assessed. RESULTS: Mentoring Functions Questionnaire scores, overall interaction, and reported satisfaction significantly improved in Year 2 over Year 1. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that distance mentoring is a feasible option, but that the near-peer benefits of virtually mentoring high school and college students together are overshadowed by different mentoring needs expressed for each group. High school students expressed needs for basic information about career possibilities, whereas college student needs are specific to achieving career goals. Shorter mentoring sessions may be more sustainable long-term and focus limited mentoring resources. This project may serve as a professional pipeline model for others who face a critical shortage of mental health providers. SUPPLEMENT INFORMATION: This article is part of a supplement entitled The Behavioral Health Workforce: Planning, Practice, and Preparation, which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
INTRODUCTION: The process of identifying effective responses to the challenges of placing and retaining a rural behavioral health workforce remains elusive. The Virtual Mentorship Network was developed to test the feasibility of using distance technology to connect rural students interested in mental health careers with mentors. METHODS: In Year 1, college and high school students were virtually mentored using a near-peer approach both live and asynchronously as a cohort over 7 months. In Year 2, college students only were virtually intensely mentored live over 1 month. High school students were asynchronously provided with informational videos produced by mentors. Program benefits were measured using the Mentoring Functions Questionnaire, and an activity satisfaction survey captured student response to the content and delivery methods. Retrospective analysis of Years 1 and 2 mentoring and satisfaction variables mean differences was performed and overall feasibility assessed. RESULTS: Mentoring Functions Questionnaire scores, overall interaction, and reported satisfaction significantly improved in Year 2 over Year 1. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that distance mentoring is a feasible option, but that the near-peer benefits of virtually mentoring high school and college students together are overshadowed by different mentoring needs expressed for each group. High school students expressed needs for basic information about career possibilities, whereas college student needs are specific to achieving career goals. Shorter mentoring sessions may be more sustainable long-term and focus limited mentoring resources. This project may serve as a professional pipeline model for others who face a critical shortage of mental health providers. SUPPLEMENT INFORMATION: This article is part of a supplement entitled The Behavioral Health Workforce: Planning, Practice, and Preparation, which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Authors: Keisha M England; Bethany Forseth; Maheen Bangash; Rohit Bhagat; Megan Murray; Dana M Bakula; Ann M Davis Journal: J Healthy Eat Act Living Date: 2022-03-11