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Whatcom Community College expands SUDP training as local behavioral‑health workforce remains stretched
Summary
Whatcom Community College reported higher enrollments and a newly funded paid practicum pilot for Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) students; college leaders said practicums and supervision are essential to place more professionals into local treatment settings.
Tori Sandoz, program coordinator and faculty for the Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) program at Whatcom Community College, briefed the subcommittee on April 15 about program capacity and recent supports.
Whatcom Community College offers three educational pathways to meet Washington’s SUDP requirements: an online alternative training for licensed behavioral‑health professionals (15 credits over three quarters), an associate degree pathway (90 credits over seven quarters, including a practicum), and a certificate pathway (65 credits over five quarters, including a practicum), Sandoz said.
Nut graf: The college’s programs feed the local workforce, but practicums and supervision are critical to transitioning trainees into paid roles. This spring the college is piloting paid practicum placements supported by a Cambria Health Foundation grant to offset students’ costs while they complete the 132‑hour practicum requirement.
Sandoz said the college is paying practicum students at minimum wage from a Cambria Health Foundation grant. She said practicums are 132 hours and that many students are hired directly from placement sites. The state has relaxed certain trainee competency requirements, she added, and the college has seen increased enrollments: double sections have been required this year to meet demand.
Committee members asked whether training could support more formal screening or diagnostic work. Sandoz said trainees can perform screenings such as SBIRT under proper supervision and become a resource for outreach teams, mobile clinics and MAT programs as trainee licensing and supervision rules allow.
Ending: Sandoz said the college will monitor practicum outcomes this spring, and committee members encouraged better mentorship and pathways into supervisory and management roles for graduates.
