GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA — Gwynedd Mercy University has launched a Behavioral Health Institute to expand continuing education, clinical supervision and professional development as Pennsylvania confronts a projected shortage of more than 6,300 behavioral health workers this year.
The institute will serve students, alumni, faculty and behavioral health professionals across the region, with programming focused on clinical practice, ethics, cultural responsiveness and clinician resilience, the university stated.
The initiative comes as employment of mental health counselors is projected to grow 17% by 2034, according to information provided by the university. GMercyU is positioning the institute as a workforce-development resource intended to help practicing clinicians obtain credentials and remain in the field.
“Pennsylvania’s behavioral health workforce shortage directly affects whether individuals and families can access care when they need it,” Janice Nuss, the university’s Social Work Program director, stated. She said the institute is intended to give clinicians a place to build skills, meet licensing requirements and obtain professional support.
The institute plans to offer individual and group clinical supervision for clinicians pursuing Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Professional Counselor licenses. The university described the supervision as affordable but did not provide pricing or a start date.
Pennsylvania social workers, professional counselors and marriage and family therapists are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years. GMercyU’s Social Work Program is a pre-approved provider of professional continuing education through the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.
The institute will also operate a Virtual Lunch and Learn Series, with each session providing one hour of state board-approved continuing education credit.
The series begins Sept. 22 with a session on accessing and navigating Montgomery County’s public mental health system, presented in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Mental Health. Future sessions are expected to address ageism in mental health practice, suicide and sexual fluidity, loneliness and belonging, and ethical problem-solving in clinical practice.
“Higher education has a responsibility to prepare the next generation of behavioral health professionals while supporting clinicians throughout their careers,” Gwynedd Mercy University President Deanne H. D’Emilio stated.
The Behavioral Health Institute expands on the university’s existing Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Social Work programs and its recently launched Trauma Certificate program.
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