This report describes a service-learning program that is successfully attracting new graduates with bachelor’s degrees and culturally diverse professionals into the behavioral health workforce. Massachusetts Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) ProgramAHP helped How Right Now: Mental Health Resources build and train the behavioral health workforce for accountable care organizations, with a focus on new roles, competencies, and performance strategies. Behavioral Health Workforce Development (BHWD)—CaliforniaA This is a statewide initiative to expand and diversify the behavioral health workforce, with a focus on equity, infrastructure, and peer-based pathways.
Policy Recommendations for Coordinated and Sustainable Growth of the Behavioral Health Workforce
While the state has many highly competent and committed professionals working hard to deliver behavioral health services, barriers to educational attainment, professional recruitment, and long-term retention may prove detrimental to the state’s ability to provide sufficient behavioral healthcare – defined as mental health and substance use disorder treatment – to its residents. Investing in the non-clinical direct support, peer support, and family advocacy members of the workforce is a smart strategy to expand access to services while strengthening and diversifying the behavioral health field, the authors say. As the authors write, “Effective workforce development requires a thorough, cross-agency, multi-stakeholder strategic plan that addresses initial training and education, licensing, recruitment, retention, and continued professional development.” They cite Colorado’s SB as a strong example of a legislatively mandated behavioral health workforce plan. Learn more about the potential role and structure of a behavioral health workforce development center in Connecticut in the Strategic Plan released last year (see Recommendation 3).
SimboConnect AI Phone Copilot for Medical Practices and Hospitals
- We review the growing evidence suggesting that NSPs disproportionately experience these occupational challenges as low-wage workers who are structurally disempowered in behavioral health service systems.
- A case in point is the collaboration between mental health professionals and primary care providers, which is crucial for integrated care but often hindered by communication barriers.
- Nebraska’s Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), established through the Legislature in 2009 (LB603) and updated in 2021 (LB1068), is the longest standing state funded workforce center dedicated exclusively to behavioral health.
- We’ve led workforce development (WFD) efforts across state agencies, provider networks, and community organizations, translating bold goals into real results.
- In behavioral health settings, where professionals deal with complex and emotionally demanding situations, resilience becomes paramount.
We conclude with suggestions for federal and state policies to deliver financial and structural investments to workforce planning and support to provide economically secure opportunities for all behavioral health providers and to attract new providers to the system. In fact, NSPs are among the fastest-growing group of workers in the behavioral health workforce.10 With nearly two decades of specialty pharmaceutical and medical device experience, Ms. Taylor has a wide range of knowledge on public policy issues, including Medicare, Medicaid and commercial management of managed care organizations, hospitals, pharmacies and mental health centers. For four decades at Yale, he has been developing and managing comprehensive systems of behavioral health care and a broad range of clinical, rehabilitative, educational, vocational, outreach, and recovery-oriented services for children, adolescents and adults. This session hosted long-term behavioral health workforce experts in a discussion on current workforce challenges, emerging solutions, and lessons learned in how to maintain a focus and attention to workforce initiates throughout policy shifts. The behavioral health landscape continues to experience ongoing and multi-pronged complexity, with systemic challenges intersecting workforce needs, technological innovation, and evolving policy developments.
Increasing State Funding of Behavioral Health Services
National Council members receive 30% off licensure exam prep resources and job board services! For additional details or questions about their accredited degree programs leading to an MA in Counseling, please contact LeAnn Brown. In a major effort to expand health equity across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Health Care and Human Services Reform Act into law in 2021. The resolution declaring a workforce emergency was unanimously adopted by House lawmakers. The Behavioral Health Workforce Center and consortium of higher education partners will be innovative, collaborative, and sustainable. Scholars and prospective scholars—please direct all questions and concerns to
During the pandemic, telehealth provided continuous access to behavioral health care and has become a standard component of care. There was consensus that telehealth, teleconsultation, and other digital workforce extenders are valuable tools for increasing the capacity of the current behavioral health workforce. While strategies to retain the current workforce and cultivate future talent are critical, state policymakers recognize that increasing the number of clinicians, while vital, is part of a multipronged approach to meet the growing mental health and substance use treatment needs of most – especially underserved and at-risk populations. Providing behavioral health services reimbursed by Medicaid. Medicaid-receiving agencies and tribal health centers focused on services to underserved communities, based in Washington state.
The Children’s Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board has recently endorsed a project to be led by CHDI, with funding from DCF, to develop recommendations and an accompanying action plan to expand family and youth peer supports within the children’s behavioral health workforce. To improve access to behavioral health services, some states have developed programs focused on supporting behavioral health professionals who reflect the population they are serving. The current behavioral health workforce may not adequately represent the demographic composition of the population it supports, potentially affecting the accessibility and delivery of culturally competent care. States are building stronger collaborative relationships with higher education, health care, and community organizations to align programming and improve workforce development. As of March 2024, more than $117 million had been awarded to over 2,300 providers serving 175 communities, further strengthening the state’s behavioral health workforce and expanding access to quality care. In this paper, we describe policy opportunities to sustain behavioral health workforce growth to meet demand while supporting fair wages, labor protections, and rigorous training.