Optimizing Support to Facilitate Focused IPE Experiences

“Optimizing support to facilitate focused IPE experiences” addresses challenges and solutions with enhancing one department’s clinical training of multiple learner groups. The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Minnesota Medical School has traditionally trained physicians and psychologists. Under Chair Dr. Sophia Vinogradov, the department expanded its training programs" we now train students from the school of nursing, social work, and couples/family therapy. We have trained students from pharmacy but are enhancing this experience. We egaged in conversation with the dental hygiene program to consider synergistic opportunities.

This rapid expansion of professional groups and learners has required significant reorganization that has been logistical and philosophical. For example, one logistical challenge was ensuring all learners had adequate administrative support to efficiently onboard and train learners. Ensuring adequate supervision support required addressing the clinical demands placed upon supervisors. The philosophical challenge pertains to transitioning away from silos toward interprofessional learning and clinical care. We have tackled combined classroom experiences, increasing visibility of complex case discussions, and providing supervision for multiple learner groups simultaneously.

Our biggest hurdle is moving the needle to increase faculty enthusiasm working in teams. Some have taken off and operate smoothly; others need cajoling. Teams will not only provide excellent education" they are the path to more comprehensive care for complex patients with psychiatric illness. We also provide better value by ensuring that patients’ diverse needs are recognized and addressed by multiple providers from the beginning of evaluation and treatment.

This lightning talk will be an exciting opportunity to address practical strategies to efficiently integrate the education and clinical practice of learners from multiple programs. It will also ask questions about future directions that remain to be tackled.
programs. It will also ask questions about future directions that remain to be tackled.