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The Mission of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Behavioral Science Committee is to enhance and promote the study of behavioral science throughout the department.  We will continue to plan, develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum for the purpose of integrating behavioral science teaching throughout family medicine programs.  To this end, we encourage scholarly activity to further the discipline and to provide learners with current, relevant information and effective skill building tools.

 Goals of the Committee:

1.       Develop the minimum competency standards constituting ‘tempered independence’ in clinical behavioral medicine among graduating family medicine residents.

2.       Develop and/or enhance the integration of behavioral science throughout the undergraduate medical education as basic to training ‘generalist prepared physicians’ and necessary to successful residency training and medical practice.

3.       Assure the department behavioral science curriculum meets the standards of academic and family medicine accrediting bodies.

4.       Promote the role of behavioral science within the department and educate non-behaviorists as to its value to them and their patients.

5.      Define the role of mental health professionals in interdisciplinary health care teams and recommend their routine inclusion.

6.       Develop a collegial relationship among the department’s behaviorists by sharing behavioral science curricula ideas, teaching tools and other resources.

7.       Develop an orientation/training program for new members of the behavioral science faculty.

8.       Pursue external funding opportunities that provide resources to promote, support, explain, and when appropriate, expand the role of clinical behavioral medicine in our department and in the discipline of Family Medicine.

9.       Promote behavioral science evidence and practice based learning to enhance our teaching and practice.

10.    Advance academic and scholarly productivity in the realm of clinical behavioral medicine among behaviorists and other faculty in the department.