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A New Generation of Behavioral Health Professionals
from 2022 Impact Report
by BeWellPBC
BeWellPBC’s Workforce Pipeline Action Team partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County’s Allied Health and Behavioral and Mental Health Departments reached an extraordinary milestone in 2022. The State Board of Education approved the new Behavioral Health Technician Program, a first-of-its-kind secondary curriculum created and designed by the School District of Palm Beach County and offered statewide, to prepare high school juniors and seniors for employment immediately after graduation and set them on a path to lifelong careers.
Long-term, the program aims to create a diverse and inclusive workforce pipeline and address the critical behavioral health professional shortage. Dr. Miguel Benavente, School District of Palm Beach County medical administrator, and colleagues wrote the curriculum with funding from Quantum Foundation and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County.
The Behavioral Health-Focused School Project Team that came together to develop the program was led by BeWellPBC and the School District of Palm Beach County’s Choice and Career Options and Behavioral and Mental Health Departments and included:
•Palm Beach County Youth Services Department,
•CareerSource Palm Beach County,
•United Way of Palm Beach County and several other partners.
Launched in the 2022-2023 school year, high school students in the School District’s medical academies are now able to work towards a career in the field through instruction and internship opportunities. In addition, the Florida Certification Board worked with BeWellPBC and partners to design a new state certification attainable by recently graduated high school students that will be sanctioned in the very near future.
The School District estimates the program could benefit up to 6,000 students in 20 high school medical academy programs. Beyond local impact on the workforce in the near future, the program provides a pipeline to university programs for advanced degrees, helping to overcome industry shortages for higher level positions.
