
Workforce Solutions Jam | Strengthening Workforce Pathways
The Role of Higher Education in Training Future Behavioral Health Professionals
This webinar is hosted as a partnership between the College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL), The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and Health Management Associates (HMA).
Higher education plays a critical role in preparing the next generation of behavioral health professionals. This session explored how institutions are adapting to meet workforce demands by modernizing curriculum, expanding access to education and training, and equipping students with the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving field. Speakers shared strategies for strengthening education-to-workforce pathways and addressing challenges in workforce preparation to build a more sustainable and prepared behavioral health workforce.
Key highlights of this webinar recording include:
- Understand how institutions are adapting to meet workforce demands
- Learn strategies for strengthening education-to-workforce pathways
- Hear from leaders on what they are seeing in the field
Resources and Links
- Hazelden Betty Ford – Graduate School
- North Carolina Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Behavioral Health Springboard UNC School of Social Work
- San Jacinto College – Mental Health and Addiction Studies
Speaker Information

Dr. Kevin Doyle, EdD, LPC, LSATP is a counselor educator and higher education administrator who was named the President/CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School in January 2022. His career has included over 35 years as a licensed professional counselor, clinical supervisor, and non-profit executive. Prior to joining Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, he was a professor in the counselor education program at Longwood University (Farmville, VA), where he also served as chair of the Department of Education and Counseling. Dr. Doyle has served multiple terms as a member of counselor licensing boards and has been highly active in the collegiate recovery movement. He has published widely in counseling professional journals and other publications.

Sarah Reives-Houston, is the Director of Behavioral Health Springboard at the UNC School of Social Work. She has a Ph.D. in education psychology from Capella University and is completing her PsyD in clinical psychology and trauma from California Southern University. Dr. Reives-Houston is certified as a family trauma specialist and as a child and adolescent trauma specialist and engages in research and conducts training on recognizing, managing, and mitigating the impacts of trauma on client populations and service providers. Prior to coming to UNC, she was on the faculty at NC Central University, where she taught courses and oversaw research projects and evaluation programs. She has also developed training and curriculum materials on mental health, substance abuse, systems of care for individuals and families.

Cayman Tirado, MA, LCDC, CPS, RYT-200, is the director of the Mental Health and Addiction Studies Program at San Jacinto College. Additionally, she is a board member for INCASE, the International Coalition for Addiction Studies Education.
Cayman has worked in the substance use disorder field since 2004, starting as a prevention specialist for underserved youth. Additional roles include IOP counselor, sober living case manager, and clinical case manager for homeless adults with co-occurring disorders. She is also a certified yoga instructor and is passionate about incorporating this into recovery.
She has been teaching at San Jacinto College since 2015 and has worked for many years to develop a pedagogical approach that supports the current and future health and wellbeing of students going into the behavioral health professions.
Background
The Workforce Solutions Jam is a monthly webinar to build national momentum and encourage collaboration through the Workforce Solutions Partnership. The partnership is leveraging Collective Impact to address the workforce crisis, and using a cross-sector approach to address the long-standing challenges for expanding and solidifying the behavioral health workforce.
The Workforce Solutions Partnership is the new name for the partnership between the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Health Management Associates and the College for Behavioral Health Leadership. The Center for Workforce Solutions continues to operate as an initiative of the National Council.