Behavioral Health Academic Review Committee BHARC

The Behavioral Health Academic Review Committee (BHARC) is a subcommittee of the Tribal Behavioral Health Directors Committee.  BHARC was formed in 2008 to facilitate the integration of the Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) Program and BHA certification within the Alaska Tribal Health System.  The purpose of the BHARC is to:

• Review, propose amendments, and recommend approval of Standards and Procedures for Behavioral Health Aide/Practitioner (BHA/P) certification in Alaska by the Community Health Aide Program Certification Board (CHAPCB)
• Respond to requests from standardized training and education programs seeking to demonstrate alignment with BHA/P curriculum requirements, systematically review each program to determine if it meets the BHA/P curriculum requirements, and summarize their findings and recommended course of action to the requesting program. The BHARC shall recommend approval by the CHAPCB any program determined to meet the BHA/P curriculum requirements
• Systematically evaluate all training and education programs with a CHAPCB BHA/P Training Center designation and provide a summative report of the program evaluation to CHAPCB; and
• To oversee the development and review of the Behavioral Health Aide Manual (BHAM).

BHARC members include behavioral health clinicians, behavioral health training staff, and Behavioral Health Aides representing the range of certification levels. Members are selected to represent the interests of Tribal Health Organizations throughout the state. The BHARC meets at least quarterly either in-person or telephonically.