Mental Health Care Provider Education in HIV/AIDS Program III

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Mental Health Services
Office of the Associate Director for Medical Affairs

The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) leads Federal efforts to treat mental illness by promoting mental health and, when possible, to provide services to prevent mental illness. CMHS HIV/AIDS programs target prevention, education, and delivery of quality mental health treatment services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Even though the HIV/AIDS epidemic is in its third decade of existence, many mental health care providers still lack practical experience in diagnosing, assessing, and addressing the numerous mental health needs of people affected by HIV/AIDS. In some cases, mental health providers simply need HIV-specific training so they can feel more comfortable with providing mental health services to people living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Mental Health Care Provider Education in HIV/AIDS Program III (MHCPE III) is built on the goals and successes of the original MHCPE program, which has been administered by the CMHS since 1992. Approximately 210,000 mental health care providers have received training supported by this program.

The current MHCPE Program promotes training opportunities for mental health care providers who have contact with people affected by HIV/AIDS. The program seeks to enhance the Nation's ability to make an impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Training is provided for traditional mental health care providers (e.g., psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers) and other first line providers of mental health services.

The MHCPE program is designed to: (1) disseminate to these service providers state-of-the-art knowledge about how to identify and treat the psychological and neuropsychiatric sequelae of HIV/AIDS; (2) disseminate to these providers the knowledge about how to identify/resolve ethical issues in providing services to people with HIV/AIDS; and (3) develop knowledge on how to be more effective in the dissemination of this knowledge.

In Fiscal Year 2004 three 5-year contracts to mental health professional associations were funded to provide additional training, education, and technology transfer opportunities designed for professionals who are members of, or affiliated with, these nationally renowned and respected organizations. Information about mental health and HIV/AIDS and training opportunities can be found on the three associations respective websites: the American Psychiatric Association (www.psych.org/aids), the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org/pi/aids/), and the National Association of Social Workers (www.socialworkers.org/practice/hiv_aids/spectrum.asp).

Fiscal Year 2004 funding: $450,000

Contact Information:

Barbara J. Silver, Ph.D.
MHCPE Program Director
CMHS/Office of the Associate Director for Medical Affairs
PHONE: 240-276-1370
FAX: 240-276-1380

03-29-06