This Institute, with others, creates opportunities that will improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and behavioral challenges and their families
Overview
The David Ralston Institute for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities advances the understanding of the abilities of all people through education, research, and public service. The Institute's interdisciplinary faculty and staff generate, disseminate, and evaluate applied research while training future professionals for careers in the behavioral health and developmental disabilities fields.
Mission
The Institute combines the long-standing work of the Center on Human Development and Disability, which has 50+ years of continuous funding and programming, with the newly established, state-funded initiative focused on behavioral health to address Georgia's addiction and mental workforce crisis.
The Ralston Institute advances the understanding of the abilities of all people through education, research, and public service. The institute works with a variety of stakeholders to create opportunities that will improve the quality of life for people with behavioral health challenges and individuals with disabilities and their families.
Building workforce connections
Georgia is experiencing a significant healthcare workforce crisis, particularly in areas of mental health, behavioral health, and those working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Millions of people throughout the state lack access to providers. The lack of access to treatment is worse in rural areas. As the existing workforce nears retirement age, it is imperative that new professionals are trained to replace them. The Ralston Institute seeks to fill this need by training the next generation of healthcare providers in behavioral and mental health and intellectual disabilities fields, and will focus on serving as a hub for internships, mentorship, and partnerships with hiring agencies and employment.
Analyzing gaps
- Employment gaps within the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) system
- Career preparation of degree-seeking students
- State-identified critical competencies not addressed
- Career paths for staff at a variety of levels.
Creating meaningful student experiences
- Interdisciplinary
- Active learning environments
- Evidence-based practices
- Competency-based curricula
- Certificates
- Mental Health First Aid infusion and other science-based programming
- Continuing education for direct service providers of individuals with disabilities and with behavioral health challenges
- Interprofessional education across different disciplines
Engaging in cutting-edge research
- Basic/applied science
- Qualitative and mixed methods
- Partnering with the Georgia Clinical Translational Science Alliance
- Needs assessments
- Program evaluation
Strengthening public service and outreach
- Disseminate research and best practices
- Liaise with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska and Council of State Governments Justice Center networks across the country
- The Institute will include a clearinghouse focused on the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice
- Be a resource to Georgia and a national leader in sharing resources and model programs
Institute outcomes
Supporting graduates to move into critical positions
The Institute:
- Works across disciplines and units to increase the pipeline of high-quality graduates and others credentialed with urgently needed skills and who seek employment in Georgia's behavioral health and developmental disability service systems.
- Develops and implements creative solutions to address the direct care workforce crisis, centered around the belief that individuals in these systems have inherent value.
- Provides evidence-based best practices and training to current professionals and paraprofessionals working in Georgia's service systems.
Clearinghouse
The clearinghouse focuses on the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice in collaboration with the Division of Justice and Behavioral Health Initiatives of the Council of State Governments. The clearinghouse was championed by then-Chief Justice Shane Boggs of the Georgia Supreme Court and is designed to:
- Provide state, regional and community policymakers with the data needed to make empirically-sound decisions and to engage in planning and policy development.
- Provide professionals across agencies and organizations and citizens with data to help them better understand behavioral health/criminal justice issues impacting their communities.
- Be a repository for best practice recommendations, reports, research and policy and planning documents, leading to enhanced screening, diversion and higher quality services.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of targeted interventions/programs in meeting their desired outcomes.
- Provide training and technical assistance to local communities and develop model programs.
- Actively involve end users in all phases of development, implementation and evaluation.