Welcome to the Program for the Integrated Training of Counselors in Behavioral Healthcare.

The Departments of Counseling and Social Work at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and UT Health Science Center San Antonio are collaborating under HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education & Training (BHWET) to offer specialized training and clinical placements in integrated school, primary care, and community settings.

In 2017, the Department of Counseling was awarded BHWET funding to establish the Program for the Integrated Training of Counselors in Behavioral Healthcare (PITCH). PEP expands these efforts through the inclusion of behavioral health trainees from three additional disciplines, diversified clinical sites, and extensive interprofessional education.

In 2021, the Department of Counseling was awarded an additional $1.6 million to continue expanding efforts to train counselors, social workers, school counselors, and psychologists for an additional 4 years.

PITCH at UTSA recently awarded HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Grant

PITCH at UTSA recently awarded HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Grant

The four-year interdisciplinary project is funded by a $1.6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. This partnership will guide close to 100 students from additional disciplines to provide real-time services in the local region.

Training Program

PITCH Expanded Providers (PEP) includes behavioral health trainees from four disciplines: clinical mental health counseling (CMHC), school counseling (SC), social work (SW), and clinical psychology (PSY). All trainees complete didactic and clinical training focused on serving adults, children, adolescents, and transition-aged youth. Additionally, all PEP trainees participate in ongoing interprofessional education workshops.

Additional training details by track are provided below:

Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC)

Twelve CMHC PEP trainees are selected through a competitive recruitment process each year. PEP CMHC trainees complete two consecutive clinical rotation semesters in integrated primary care or community-based settings. Stipend support of $5,000/semester is dispersed following completion of all PEP requirements. PEP CMHC trainees also complete two elective courses (IBH-1 and IBH-2) and are eligible to earn a 12-hour graduate certificate in integrated behavioral healthcare.

School Counseling (SC)

Six PEP SC trainees are selected through a competitive recruitment process each year. PEP SC trainees complete 12 hours of online learning modules focused on the role and functions of professional school counselors on integrated care teams. PEP SC trainees complete two consecutive clinical rotation semesters at their home schools. Stipend support of $5,000/semester is dispersed following completion of all PEP requirements.

Social Work (SW)

Four PEP SW trainees are selected through a competitive recruitment process each year. PEP SW trainees complete 12 hours of online learning modules focused on the role and functions of social workers on integrated care teams. PEP SC trainees complete two consecutive clinical rotation semesters at integrated community settings. Stipend support of $5,000/semester is dispersed following completion of all PEP requirements.

Clinical Psychology (PSY)

The two PEP PSY trainees will be part of the 1-year, 2000 hour, APA accredited Pre-Doctoral Clinical Psychology Internship (Primary Care track) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Long School of Medicine at UT Health Science Center San Antonio. During the year-long internship, PEP trainees from the PSY discipline track will participate in one or two major rotations as well as several year-long clinical activities. Trainees will receive clinical training within the PCBH model across the lifespan.

PEP flowchart

The PEP Team is devoted to the interprofessional training of behavioral health professionals from four disciplines serving children, adolescents, and transition-aged youth in the San Antonio and surrounding areas.

PEP Team

Heather Trepal, Ph.D., LPC-S

Heather Trepal, Ph.D., LPC-S

PEP Project Director – University of Texas at San Antonio

Primarily responsible for oversight of the UTSA BHWET PEP project. Meets with key staff to monitor the implementation of each of the components and works collaboratively with all parties to assure maximum accountability, reliability, and validity for this project.

Jessica Lloyd-Hazlett, Ph.D, LPC-S

Jessica Lloyd-Hazlett, Ph.D, LPC-S

PEP Counseling Track Coordinator

Primarily responsible for oversight of the development and coordination of the Clinical Mental Health. Works collaboratively with the Project Director, PCBH Consultant, faculty, and site supervisors to coordinate site development and maintenance. Assumes primary responsibility for communication with the counseling faculty and supervisors, Project Director, and Evaluator.

Stacy Ogbeide, PsyD, ABPP, CSOWM

Stacy Ogbeide, PsyD, ABPP, CSOWM

PCBH Consultant and Clinical Psychology Track Coordinator – UT Health Science Center San Antonio

Primarily responsible for oversight of the development and coordination of the Clinical Psychology (PSY) track and the Interprofessional Education Curriculum. Primarily responsible for providing consultation related to primary care behavioral health integration course development, trainee clinical training, site supervisor training, and primary care clinic team training for the UTSA BHWET PEP project but works collaboratively with Project Director.

pobanz-james.jpeg

James Pobanz, LCSW, LCDC

Social Work Track Coordinator – University of Texas at San Antonio

Primarily responsible for oversight of the development and coordination of the Social Work (SW) track. Works collaboratively with Project Director, faculty, and site supervisors to coordinate training coursework and site development and maintenance. James assumes primary responsibility for communication with the SW faculty and supervisors, Project Director, and Evaluator.

Mercedes Ingram, Ph.D., LPC

Mercedes Ingram, Ph.D., LPC

Evaluator – University Health

Primarily responsible for providing evaluation oversight for the UTSA BHWET PEP project but works collaboratively with Project Director, faculty, and site supervisors to evaluate the project. Assumes primary responsibility for using data to help address health disparities and to inform the continuous quality improvement process.

Swathi Weaver, MA, LPC-S

Gretchen Mclain, PhD

PEP School Counseling Track Coordinator

Primarily responsible for oversight of the development and coordination of the School Counseling tracks. Works collaboratively with the Project Director, PCBH Consultant, faculty, and school districts to coordinate internships with school counseling trainees. Assumes primary responsibility for communication with the school counseling faculty and supervisors, Project Director, and Evaluator.

Swathi Weaver, MA, LPC-S

Swathi Weaver, MA, LPC-S

Graduate Research Assistant

The Graduate Research Assistant works closely with team members to play a supporting role in the PEP program.

Online Library

Publications

  • Lloyd-Hazlett, J., Ogbeide, S., Trepal, H., Ingram, M., & Weaver, S. (2024). Use of the Integrated Practice Assessment Tool (IPAT) to evaluate the clinical learning environment for counselors-in-training. Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration, 2(1), 1-16.
  • Ogbeide, S. A., Ingram, M., & Lloyd‐Hazlett, J. (2023). Primary care supervision: A
    community of practice. The Clinical Teacher, e13704. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13704.
  • Ogbeide, S. A., Trepal, H., Lloyd-Hazlett, J., & Ingram, M. (2022). Assessing counseling student self-reported competencies in primary care behavioral health. Families, Systems, & Health, 40(4), 508–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000744
  • Lloyd-Hazlett, J., Knight, C., Ogbeide, S., Trepal, H., & Blessing, N. (2020). Strengthening the behavioral health workforce: Spotlight on PITCH. The Professional Counselor, 10(3), 306–317. https://doi.org/10.15241/jlh.10.3.306
  • Trepal, H., Lloyd-Hazlett, J., Knight, C., & Strano-Burton, L. (2019). Training counselors in integrated behavioral healthcare. Chi Sigma Iota Exemplar, 34 (3), 27-30.

Presentations

  • Ingram, M., Ogbeide, S., Lloyd-Hazlett, J., & Trepal, H. (2024) Closing the Care Gap:
    Integrating Primary and Behavioral Healthcare in Rural Communities. 9th Annual Cultural Inclusion Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States.
  • Trepal, H., Weaver, S., Ingram, M., & Lloyd-Hazlett, J. (2024). Counselor training in integrated primary care settings: Evidence-based practice for supervision and clinical site development. Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Midwinter Conference, Georgetown, Texas, United States.
  • Lloyd-Hazlett, J., Ogbeide, S., & Mclain, G. (2024). Training Professional School Counselors
    in Integrated Behavioral Health. Texas Counseling Association Professional School
    Counseling Conference, San Antonio, Texas, United States.
  • Ogbeide, S., Lloyd-Hazlett, J., Ingram, M., & Weaver, S. (2023). The use of virtual IPE
    workshops to promote team-based care. Collaborative Family Healthcare Association,
    Phoenix, Arizona, United States.
  • Lloyd-Hazlett, J., Weaver, S., & Trepal, H. (2023). Counselor training in integrated primary
    care settings, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Denver, Colorado,
    United States.
  • Trepal, H., & Lloyd-Hazlett, J. (2023). Training counselors in integrated care: A review of
    research. American Counseling Association Conference, Toronto, Canada.
  • Lloyd-Hazlett, J., & Trepal, H. (2022). Preparing student counselors for work in integrated
    healthcare: A research review. Southern Association for Counselor Education and
    Supervision, Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

Awards

  • 2021 University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine Academy of Health Science Education Judith Drews Innovation Award - Program for the Integrated Training of Counselors in Behavioral Healthcare (PITCH) – 2nd place
  • 2019  University of Texas at San Antonio President’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Innovation and Impact – Program for the Integrated Training of Counselors in Behavioral Healthcare (PITCH)

The professional training page has been created for the general public interested in integrated behavioral health. The training listed on this website contains a variety of documents and videos used in the PITCH program.

TexCHIP Symposium 2022

Symposium 2022 Workshop Summary

Symposium 2022 slide show

Primary Care Behavioral Health Workshop Documents

Treating Underserved Populations within Integrated Primary Care Behavioral Health Settings

Presented by Dr. Nida Emko | June 30, 2018

Download    


ACES in Primary Care

Presented by Dr. Stephanie Chapman | June 30, 2018

Download    


Primary Care Behavioral Health: Past, Present, Future

Presented by Dr. Deepu George | June 30, 2018

Download    


Preparing the Workforce for Primary Behavioral Health: Training and Workforce Challenges

Presented by Dr. Lisa Kearney | June 30, 2018

Download    

Additional Trainings

Clinical Supervision in Integrated Care

Presented by Dr. Stacy Ogbeide | March 10, 2018

Download    


Primary Behavioral Health Model

Presented by Dr. Stacy Ogbeide, Zeke Sanders, & Beverly Bernal | December 02, 2017

Download    


Role of Behavioral Health Consultant

Presented by Dr. Stacy Ogbeide | December 16, 2017

Download    

2023-2024 Summer Workshops

  • Sex Trafficking: What Integrated HealthcareProfessionals Need to Know (2023)
    • Guest Facilitators:
      Dr. Claudia Interiano-Shiverdecker
      Dr. Priscilla Prasath
      Dr. Devon Romero
  • Psychotropic Medication Use In Pediatric Populations (2024)
    • Guest Speaker:
      Brigitte Bailey, Md, UT Health San Antonio, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Community Partners

University of Texas at San Antonio Logo

UTSA

UT Health Science - SA Logo

UTHSCSA

Health Resources & Serivces Administration Logo

HRSA

Contact Us

Please email the PITCH Expanded Providers (PEP) program with any questions you may have.