Clark College this fall will launch its bachelor’s degree of applied sciences in human services, a degree the college says will help students advance their careers in the behavioral health field.
After receiving approval last week from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Clark College can begin recruiting for its first cohort of students. This becomes the third bachelor’s degree Clark College will offer.
The program builds on Clark College’s addiction counseling education department, where students can already earn a two-year degree allowing them to become chemical dependency counselors. But college officials say area counseling and rehabilitation providers need more advanced counselors who can treat the mental health problems that often underscore drug addiction. According to the college, 93 percent of local employers said they needed baccalaureate-trained clinicians, but 71 percent said they struggle to find those applicants.
That’s key in Clark and Skamania counties, which are early adopters of the state Medicaid integration. That brings together physical health, mental health and substance abuse disorders under one umbrella, meaning medical providers are taking a more holistic approach to treating patients’ health problems.
