Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

» Mission
» History
» Psychiatry Teaching and Consultation Resources
» AHEC Speakers and Programs
» AHEC Digital Library Mental Health Section

Mission

The mission of the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program is to meet the state’s health workforce needs by providing educational programs in partnership with academic institutions, healthcare agencies, and other organizations committed to improving the health of the people of North Carolina.

AHEC educational programs and information services are targeted toward:

• Improving the distribution and retention of healthcare providers, with a special emphasis on primary care and prevention.
• Increasing the representation of minorities and disadvantaged populations in all health disciplines.
• Enhancing the quality of care and improving healthcare outcomes.Addressing the healthcare needs of underserved communities and populations.
• Addressing the healthcare needs of underserved communities and populations.

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History

The North Carolina AHEC Program evolved from national and state concerns over the supply, distribution, retention and quality of health professionals.  In 1970, a report from the Carnegie Commission recommended the development of a nationwide system of Area Health Education Centers.

Legislation and federal support since the early 1970s has made the implementation of AHEC programs possible in many states.  This national focus coincided with a growing effort in North Carolina to establish statewide community training for health professionals and reverse a trend toward shortages and uneven distribution of primary care physicians in the state's rural areas.

The Program began in 1972 with three AHEC regions under a federal AHEC contract with the UNC-CH School of Medicine. In 1974, the North Carolina General Assembly approved and funded a plan by the UNC-CH School of Medicine to create a statewide network of nine AHEC regions.  The plan called for the establishment of 300 new primary care medical residencies and the regular rotation of students to off-campus sites.

The General Assembly also provided funds to build or renovate AHEC educational facilities in the nine regions and to develop the proposed program components.  By 1975, all nine AHECs were operational.  In 1988, the State Legislature appropriated additional funds for a ‘Mental Health Initiative’ that extended the basic AHEC mission to include mental health disciplines.  Directors of mental health training were established in each AHEC region, and residency training support was provided to each of the four medical school departments of psychiatry to allow outplacement of trainees to regional mental health centers.

Psychiatry Teaching and Consultation Resources

This guide lists teaching and consultation resources in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC-CH available to NC public mental health programs through the AHEC system.  In order to emphasize the availability of our faculty not just for didactic presentations, but also for consultation and technical assistance, the directory has been expanded to several sections.

Educational programs lists a variety of didactic presentations already prepared by our faculty for delivery in a variety of formats. The content and format of these presentations can often be modified to fit specific learning needs.

A clinical consultation section lists the special clinical interests of our faculty, and indicates their availability to provide consultee centered consultation, either on site or by telephone.

A program consultation section (see below) lists faculty who can provide assistance at a programmatic level.  In addition, appendices introduce some of our special service units, and provided extended descriptions of some of our most frequently requested educational presentations.  Through the sponsorship of the AHEC Mental Health Initiative, most of the resources described here are available to public programs at minimal to no cost.  The only limitation is that the activity must involve education of one form or another.

How to Access AHEC Resources

Other than for simple clinical referrals, the services described in this directory may be arranged by first contacting the appropriate regional AHEC Mental Health Director.  The Mental Health Director will help you define what you want and will then contact the UNC Psychiatry AHEC office to check availability and initiate detailed planning.  We have provided addresses and telephone numbers of participating faculty and the AHEC Mental Health Directors to facilitate direct communication once the activity has been set up. 

Click here for Regional AHEC Mental Health Center Contact Information.

Other Possibilities

Utilization of our resources need not be limited to the topics and formats suggested in this directory. Our capabilities are constantly evolving. Contact your regional AHEC mental health director regarding needs or ideas that may not exactly fit what we have listed. In addition we are working on some new types of educational linkages . These include: 

• UNC faculty liaisons - A limited number of faculty are available to visit an AHEC Program regularly over the course of the year to learn its needs and provide a personalized link with University based resources.
• Video Conferencing - Check with your AHEC Mental Health Director regarding availability of telecasting facilities in your area.
• University based learning opportunities - In some situations, AHEC can help arrange skill building opportunities at Psychiatry Department facilities in Chapel Hill. This can include participation in teaching clinics, and specialized clinical supervision.

Contact your local AHEC Mental health Director if you are interested in exploring any of these possibilities.

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AHEC Speakers and Programs

Click here for the Psychiatry Resource Guide to AHEC Speakers and Programs.

AHEC Digital Library Mental Health Section

In an effort to support the use of evidence based approaches throughout the state, AHEC has undertaken a major initiative to provide instantaneous access to medical information. The AHEC Digital Library is a web based platform that allows users to access online textbooks, journals, literature searches, drug information, data bases, and other resources. The ADL is available free of charge to all community based preceptors and trainees supported by AHEC. A specific mental health section came online in 2002, focusing on journals, references, and links that are particularly relevant to mental health disciplines.

The ADL, including the Mental Health Collection can be viewed at http://www.ncahec.net/library.htm.
Use ‘guest’ for username and ‘guest’ for password.

Click here for the NC AHEC Web site