BHWELL FAQs

Q: What is Integrated Care?

A: Integrated Care, also known as Integrated Behavioral Health, brings MSWs and other behavioral health clinicians onto healthcare interprofessional teams and into rural health clinics, FQHCs, and critical access hospitals to address biopsychosocial needs of patients and families. Learn more from SAMHSA

Q: What is the demand for health workforce social workers?

A: Read the Health Workforce Projections fact sheet that presents the national supply of and demand for mental health and substance abuse social workers for 2013 through 2025 using HRSA’s Health Workforce Simulation Model.

Q: Do I have to live in a rural area?

A: Not necessarily, but we want to attract students who are passionate about serving patients and communities in rural areas. Many rural health clinics are located within 30-50 minutes from cities such as Champaign-Urbana, Decatur, Danville, Springfield, Peoria, etc., a very reasonable commute. Also, FQHC are usually eligible BHWELL sites, and they are located throughout urban and rural areas.

Q: Do I have to declare healthcare as my focus area?

A: Not to apply for BHWELL, but certain courses are required if you are accepted into the program. BHWELL scholars will have a course planning sheet that is a hybrid of the Healthcare and Mental Health focus areas, and will meet requirements for the Certificate program. See BHWELL requirements

Q: Where are the BHWELL sites?

A: Stay tuned! If you are a primary care setting in rural Illinois and interested, please contact us. If you are a prospective BHWELL scholar and have a great place to recommend, please forward this website to them or let us know and we’ll email them information. Final BHWELL sites for each year is contingent on making successful matches between BHWELL-approved sites and BHWELL scholars who are able to do an internship in that location.