What You'll Learn
Individuals looking to expand their experiences in human services or get a boost in their career or future educational plans will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to receive the Behavioral Health Support Specialist (BHSS) license in Washington state. Students will advance their skills, learning to work with vulnerable populations to develop a culturally responsive and equitable approach to mental health treatment. Students will learn from a range of experiences, including an internship placement in a behavioral health setting.
You'll learn:
- Essential counseling and relationship skills
- Cultural responsiveness
- Team-based care
- Screening and assessment
- Targeted behavioral health interventions
- Ethics and law
- Care planning and coordination
- Health equity
Certificate Prerequisites
Students must complete 4 credits of Abnormal Psychology:
Abnormal Psychology - Spring Quarter, 4 credits
Plus 2 of the following courses:
Lifespan Development- Winter Quarter, 4 credits
Theories of Personality- Winter Quarter, 4 credits
Introduction to Neuroscience* OR Biological Basis of Behavior* - 4 credits
*Transfer students may satisfy prerequisites with courses offered at other institutions. Courses in neurobiology (or the biological basis of behavior) are not regularly offered for 4 credits at Evergreen, however full-time programs such as Neurobiology, Behavior, and Consciousness: The Science and Study of the Mind, offered for 16 credits in winter quarter, would equally satisfy this prerequisite.
Email certificates@evergreen.edu if you have questions about these prerequisites.
Certificate Coursework
This certificate consists of 32 undergraduate credits. Some courses must be taken in sequence: The Helping Relationship must be completed before Integrative Behavioral Health and the Behavioral Health Internship can be taken.
Addiction and Treatment: Strengths Based Perspectives - FallorSpringQuarter, 4 credits
The Helping Relationship: Introduction to Counseling Theory, Skills and Ethics* - Fall Quarter, 8 credits
Integrative Behavioral Health: Assessment, Interventions and Case Management - Winter Quarter, 8 credits
Behavioral Health Support Specialist Internship-Fall,Winter,SpringQuarters, 12 credits (this course is taken over two or more quarters).
Learn more about courses in the Academic Catalog