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10 <br />MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE REPORT <br />Service Capacity Increases <br />1. Increase MSW student p/acements in provider agencies and add dinical supervision for students and <br />provisions//y licensed workers <br />One of the key partners in mental health service delivery in our community is the School of Social Work <br />at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. This past year, the school had 68 students in 58 field <br />placements in Orange County. Of these placements, 55 were considered mental health placements. <br />Nationally and in North Carolina, there is a serious workforce shortage of trained mental health social <br />workers, due primarily to retirement, attrition and training-related issues. The school would like to place <br />more students in Orange county mental health agencies with supervision. However, placement locations with <br />good supervision are lacking because students cannot bill for their services; clinical supervision time is time <br />taken away from billable activities; and economic uncertainties make potential field instructors reluctant to <br />take students. <br />As noted earlier, a Task Force work group met several times to discuss these issues. They developed the <br />proposal included in Attachment B..This proposal is already being circulated as part of the search for funding. <br />Hopefully, a partnership of UNC School of Social Work, Task Force members, town and county leaders, social <br />workers and others concerned about mental health service capacity issues will emerge to carry this plan to <br />fruition. <br />2. Create a partnership with the Menta/Health Association in Orange County to expand the Pro Bono <br />Counseling Network. <br />The Mental Health Association in Orange County (MHAOC) is the local, nonprofit affiliate of the Mental <br />Health Association of North Carolina. In its work, MHAOC emphasizes coalition building/collaboration, peer <br />and social support, volunteerism and public education and advocacy. The Pro Bono Counseling Network is a <br />program operated by MHAOC in partnership with Healthy Carolinians of Orange County, OPC and private <br />practice therapists. The goal of the program is to fill the service gap for people in need of counseling who do <br />not qualify for publicly-funded services and who lack private insurance and cannot afford to pay out of <br />pocket. The Pro Bono Counseling Network recruits private pracctice therapists to see 1 or 2 clients per year <br />on a pro bono basis. The program coordinator screens and matches referrals and conducts ongoing follow- <br />up. <br />