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Project OASIS

Opioid and Substance Use Intervention Strategies

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The U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) recently implemented the 5-Point Strategy to combat the opioid crisis, and part of this initiative is to increase access to substance use treatment providers through the Opioid Workforce Expansion Program.

Project OASIS, funded by HRSA, is made up of an interdisciplinary team from the Mary Frances Early College of Education, the School of Social Work, and the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia. The project seeks to expand opioid and substance use treatment services in Georgia by enhancing community-based training for behavioral health students in these programs.

Project OASIS provides evidence-based training in the areas of behaviorial health and integrated care in two nationally renowned graduate-level behavioral health programs at the University of Georgia:

The project will expand the behavioral health workforce in underserved communities throughout northeast Georgia, focusing on opioid and subtstance use interventions in impacted communities. The program will be evaluated for its effectiveness in training students to succeed in interprofessional environments across a wide array of behavioral health competencies.

The Fellowship

Project OASIS provides the opportunity for students in the counseling psychology doctoral program and the master of social work program to engage in clinical training, individual and group supervision, and diverse practicum experiences in integrative behavioral health-primary care services using evidence-based interventions. The project offers a stipend in specified integrative healthcare settings to provide support for students during their clinical placements.

Project OASIS develops collaborative relationships with integrative healthcare sites in northeast Georgia that welcome the opportunity to work with psychologists and social workers in training.

Fellowship commitments include:

  • Attending seminars and training in integrated healthcare services
  • Didactic training in evidence-based approaches effective in addressing mental and behavioral health concerns
  • Completing surveys at the start and end of the fellowship year, as well as post-graduation

During the fellowship year, group supervision develops skills in case conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment planning, while individual supervision supports skill development through exploration of clinical cases. Fellows will attend case presentations in the fall semester and present cases in the spring semester.

Apply Today!

Email Jason Blizzard, Project OASIS manager, to apply.

Our Fellowship Sites

Our Team

Portrait of Bernadette Davantes Heckman

Bernadette Davantes Heckman

Principal investigator

Portrait of Orion Mowbray

Orion Mowbray

Co-principal investigator

Portrait of Jason Blizzard

Jason Blizzard

Project manager

Contact Us

Bernadette Heckman, principal investigator bheckman@uga.edu 706-542-4792
Jason Blizzard, project manager jrb21@uga.edu 706-542-3931