During Spring 2021, our team from the Cross-Harvard Future of Work Study Group collaborated with the Massachusetts Healthcare Collaborative to understand peer support certification and standardization of their career ladder in behavioral health. The discussion also focused on opportunities and challenges for state policymaking and public-private partnerships to invest in the behavioral health workforce and build evidence-informed, flexible approaches that leverage the unique contributions of both licensed and unlicensed workers. To capture this expertise, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) convened a multi-sector roundtable comprised of policymakers, payors, providers, employers, and individuals with lived experience to explore innovative solutions and identify actionable strategies for strengthening the behavioral health workforce.
As a public health and education expert, Dr. Garate serves as subject matter expert on topics ranging from strategy development to operations and program evaluation and design. Substantial shortages are projected across key roles—including mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, addiction counselors, and social workers—by 20371. Modeled after the Florida Center for Nursing, the FCBHW was created to strengthen Florida’s behavioral health system to meet the current and future workforce needs. Florida’s Behavioral Health Workforce Center (FCBHW) at the University of South Florida was established by SB 330 in 2024 as part of the “Live Healthy” initiative, a landmark legislative and state appropriation effort to elevate behavioral health on par with physical health in both policy and practice. It leads the Executive Committee, convenes a multi-sector Advisory Council, and manages tools like a county-level workforce data dashboard and a behavioral health jobs board. ESSB 5200, passed in April 2023, reappropriated $244 million in capital funds, including over $23 million from the general fund, for the University of Washington and Department of Health Services to support the behavioral health teaching facility.
Understanding the Challenges in Behavioral Health Workforce Training and Retention
The demand for mental health services has surged, yet the supply of trained clinicians remains inadequate. By recognizing its importance, investing in training, and fostering a resilient workforce, we can ensure that individuals receive the compassionate care they deserve. Telehealth, data analytics, and virtual training platforms enhance accessibility and efficiency. The existing workforce struggles to meet the demand, emphasizing the urgency of workforce development. These dedicated individuals work tirelessly to address mental health and substance use disorders, providing essential support to individuals, families, and communities.
Understanding the Workforce You Are Building
It provides insights and statistics regarding the healthcare workforce, helping inform policy and workforce development initiatives. In the realm of behavioral health workforce development, the synergy between various stakeholders can catalyze profound advancements. The National Council’s Workforce Development goal is to educate and train the current and future members of the mental health and substance use treatment workforce, from direct care delivery and peer support to C-suite executives. It is vitally important for National Council to spearhead solutions, mitigate future risk and support our local community mental health and substance use treatment workforce, so those who need care have the greatest chance of receiving safe, fair access.
Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Behavioral Health Professionals
Opportunities for career advancement, recognition of prior skills, and mental health support can enhance retention rates and improve care quality. Despite the promising initiatives, barriers to entering the behavioral health workforce persist. Ohio is also dedicating resources to tackle shortages in its behavioral health workforce. In response to workforce challenges, Colorado has made notable efforts to improve its behavioral health workforce.
In Illinois, Nevada, and Washington, centers are mandated to provide annual or biennial reports on their progress, recommendations, and future implications. Legislatively mandated reporting requirements are used to ensure accountability and utility toward workforce How Right Now: Mental Health Resources solutions while promoting transparency. The Advisory Group also serves as a liaison to the field, ensuring ongoing communication between policymakers and frontline systems. Separately, the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) Behavioral Health Workforce Center (BHWC) established an Advisory Group composed of providers, payers, and consumer advocates. Massachusetts exemplifies how formal governance structures can institutionalize stakeholder input in workforce planning. As such, the BHWC work is supported by broader data and analytics capacity at the HPC and allows input to state government with a degree of independence.
- Addressing the behavioral health workforce shortage requires a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond increasing the number of clinicians.
- Following the 2020 assessment, the 2021 Washington State Legislature formalized the stakeholder workgroup that had informed previous iterations of policy and practice recommendations as the Behavioral Health Workforce Advisory Committee (BHWAC).
- The partnership is leveraging Collective Impact to address the workforce crisis, and using a cross-sector approach to address the long-standing challenges for expanding and solidifying the 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.
- In the realm of behavioral health workforce development, collaboration and partnerships play a pivotal role in shaping a resilient and effective workforce.
Employers rely on referrals from existing clients, staff, and community members with lived experience. Namely, insurance coverage of these services has lagged behind need. Value-based payment arrangements, increasing uptake of existing billing codes for Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), and financial incentives for adopting team-based care can drive improvements. Ensuring that technology is integrated with clinical supervision is essential to maintaining patient care as the primary focus while safeguarding safety and quality. Roundtable participants also stressed that the use of technology in clinical care must complement, not replace, clinician oversight. These tools enable the workforce to operate more efficiently by streamlining tasks and optimizing resource allocation.
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