Workforce Development for Behavioral Health
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is stepping up to the challenge, creating accessible, effective educational pathways to behavioral health careers. FCBHW also translates research and stakeholder input into policy recommendations that strengthen retention and improve access to care while engaging health systems, academic institutions, state agencies and community partners to align strategies. The center is actively addressing critical workforce challenges through original research, mentorship programs with stipends spanning from high school through graduate education, and training initiatives to mitigate provider shortages and promote evidence-based practices. Through strong legislative support, strategic partnerships with academic institutions and health systems, and formalized governance structures, BHECN has built a coordinated, data-informed approach to workforce development. In North Carolina, the Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center at the Sheps Center (UNC-Chapel Hill) (UNC-BHWRC) plays a critical national role in supporting the behavioral health workforce. It utilized a formal application process to compose the membership, tailored to include clinical leaders, research experts, and higher education partners to prioritize an evidence-informed approach to strengthening and diversifying the behavioral health workforce.
Traditional Workforce Development Strategies to Address Shortages and Maldistributions in the Workforce
The funding is often targeted to agencies that primarily serve the uninsured or publicly insured (Medicaid/Medicare) and/or to increase workforce diversity. To provide immediate, direct assistance to behavioral health agencies for staff recruitment and retention, some states have expanded grant funding and incentive payments. They also urge states to “seize this moment” of national attention on behavioral health to put these strategies in place. Access mental health links, funding opportunities, and other resources. In 2023, Arkansas, Virginia, Wyoming, and 11 other states joined the Counseling Compact to increase public access, allow use of telehealth technology, and streamline licensing across multiple states. This includes granting additional responsibilities, certifications, or licensures to existing professionals and creating new categories of providers.
Remote Job Resources
- The collaborative nature of these approaches often transcends traditional boundaries, bringing together diverse stakeholders from academia, clinical settings, and community organizations.
- Additionally, there is not a clear next step for peer workers who want to take on additional responsibility while also continuing the aspects of the peer role—mentorship of those in the recovery process—that fueled their initial passion for the role.
- In 2023, Arkansas, Virginia, Wyoming, and 11 other states joined the Counseling Compact to increase public access, allow use of telehealth technology, and streamline licensing across multiple states.
- “Our healthcare infrastructure has been strained by budget challenges and global health emergencies, and while I know that there is a lot more work to be done to completely rebuild our capacity, this is a great step in the right direction.”
Peer support groups allow professionals to share experiences and learn from one another. Professionals must adapt to telehealth, mobile apps, and virtual support groups. Professionals should have options for lateral moves that allow them to explore different roles within behavioral health. Prioritizing self-care and resilience benefits both professionals and their patients.
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The Center for Workforce Solutions is convening the field to develop actionable ideas and strategies to meaningfully improve the workforce crisis. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has been at the forefront of driving best practice standards aimed at bolstering, educating, empowering and guiding the national workforce, and building capacity at all levels. This publication is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. BHWCs enable states to build capacity by anchoring efforts in data analysis, expanding training pipelines, and coordinating stakeholders around shared goals. Through this program, the center collaborates with state Departments of Health and Human Services, universities, and provider networks across the country. UNC-BHWRC conducts comprehensive analyses of national workforce data to evaluate the adequacy, composition, and distribution of the workforce while exploring models of service delivery, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
In the current system, people struggle to access the care https://www.cdcfoundation.org/howrightnow they need. Our behavioral health system is facing significant challenges. Together, we can address social determinants of mental health.
Providing additional education allows peer support workers to grow personally and professionally and allows organizations to retain employees. The organization (Figure 5) created an internal structure where peer support workers start as “Recovery Support Navigators” who serve as “liaisons to care,” providing brief intervention and important connections to treatment for substance use disorders. Commercial insurers have not yet followed suit for all peer support services.⁵ Hence, the development of a standardized certification process is critical to feedback into the growth of peer support positions. Part of the challenge in expanding the supply of peer support workers stems from norms about how their services are typically reimbursed. There is a growing need for peer support roles in behavioral health, but the sector faces stark labor shortages