Dr. Bob Bohanske Bio/Center of Excellence Story
“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” – Aristotle
Learning is fundamental to growth and development. It is the foundation for which we actualize into our truest potential. Dr. Bob Bohanske knew this, and so much more. As a man dedicated to enhancing the quality of care for all people, and their access to it, Dr. Bob began by focusing on the ground level through educating and training direct care providers. In doing so, he embodied his vision. This vision was for Southwest Behavioral & Health Services (SB&H) to build the premiere clinical training institution in Arizona, and beyond. His tireless efforts, which never faltered, were to meet and surpass a level of excellence that is now seen through what has become the four pillars of the Dr. Bob Bohanske Center for Clinical Excellence.
Each pillar of the Center for Clinical Excellence represents an area of education and training that Dr. Bob believed in and fostered. As a psychologist and a past President of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, Dr. Bob saw areas of need and addressed them directly. One of the pillars, the Doctoral Training Program, started with Dr. Bob and a handful of fellow psychologists through a grassroots effort to collaborate with local universities and offer hands-on training in community healthcare. This program has become the largest APA-accredited doctoral internship site for clinical psychology in the U.S., which also hosts practicum and postdoctoral fellows in Clinical Psychology. Another pillar, the Training Institute (TI) was founded as a means to host innovative didactics, trainings, and workshops of the highest caliber that carry Continuing Education (CE) credits through SB&H’s sponsorship of APA and NBCC. The Training Institute is dedicated to affording CEs and programming to clinical providers of any level, and is forging new ways to offer these trainings. The College of Wellness (CoW) is another pillar and represents Dr. Bob’s enthusiasm for strengths-based, member-centered, whole-person healthcare. He brought the Recovery College concept back from the U.K., where he observed its impact firsthand through his travels. The College of Wellness empowers all students and participants to be their best selves through its coursework and promotes well-being in mind, body, and spirit. Quality Management Learning and Development (QM L&D) describes itself in its name as the last pillar. Learning and Development is the cornerstone to how healthcare is delivered and the principles from which they operate. QM L&D engages its learners, much as Dr. Bob has taught providers to engage those they serve. Through fundamental and necessary trainings to integrative care to professional development, QM L&D boasts a broad array of programming for nearly any type or level of employment. These four pillars are on the cutting edge of education and training, which sustains Dr. Bob’s vision.
