The behavioral health workforce crisis, a long-standing issue worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, threatens the ability of provider organizations to meet growing demands for behavioral health treatment services. Despite decades of efforts, challenges such as inadequate compensation, workforce shortages, lack of diversity, and high burnout persist. In fact, a 2023 survey of state Medicaid officials on behavioral health revealed that nearly every state was engaged in at least one strategy to address the workforce shortage.[1]
Since 2021, The Workforce Solutions Partnership, a collaboration of The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, The College for Behavioral Health Leadership, and Health Management Associates has worked to create both short and long-term solutions. Efforts have included:
- Policy papers aimed at short term solutions
- Review and crosswalk of over 400 recommendations from organizations across the country
- Creation of the Workforce Solutions JAM, begun in May 2024, a monthly webinar spreading innovation and discussing all elements of the behavioral health workforce
- Multiple convenings of technical experts and partners to discuss how to support action on the workforce
- And now a call to action.
The next step for the Workforce Solutions Partnership is to expand engagement with partners to address the workforce shortage. The Partnership believes that using the Collective Impact framework, will provide the structure to build a national strategy and cross-sector approach to shared implementation of workforce initiatives, resulting in effective and scalable solutions. We understand there are countless workforce initiatives underway across the country, many of which are demonstrating progress and innovations that can be scaled. Rather than duplicate or distract from existing efforts, the Partnership will build connections between these efforts, elevate their impact and empower emerging innovative ideas.
Initial areas of focus will include:
Community alignment: Enhancing recruitment and retention of a workforce that reflects the communities accessing behavioral health services.
Creation of efficiencies: Building a new operational and administrative model that improves access.
Technology integration: Exploring tech-enabled supports to enhance skill development and service delivery.
Career pathways and compensation: Improving access to career opportunities and using evolving payment models to increase salaries for behavioral health professionals.
The Call to Action outlines the Partnership common agenda, levers of change, and the process for developing a national platform for change. It outlines how partners can engage and is the launch of what we hope will be national action to build a sustainable workforce.
[1] Saunders, H., Guth, M., & Eckart, G. (2023). A look at strategies to address behavioral health workforce shortages: Findings from a survey of state Medicaid programs. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/a-look-at-strategies-to-address-behavioral-health-workforce-shortages-findings-from-a-survey-of-state-medicaid-programs/
