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.

How to Answer “Describe Your Experience Working With Diverse Teams Or Different Cultures?”

While the plan is specific to the children’s behavioral health workforce, its strategies and recommendations are applicable across the field. It includes strategies to increase workforce diversity, expand the peer support workforce, expand credential portability, and reduce administrative burden on staff, among others. Connecticut established a similar center for the nursing workforce in 2013, but does not yet have one dedicated to behavioral health. Maine, for example, raised rates for behavioral health services by 22% in 2023 and transformed its rate-setting system to ensure rates would keep up with inflation and the costs of providing care over time.

“As demand for behavioral health services has grown and the workforce has diminished, there’s been a great sense of urgency to tackle the employee shortage head-on,” said State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “We have taken strides to increase access to behavioral and mental health services,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). The Center builds upon the state’s commitment to behavioral health transformation, strengthening behavioral health care infrastructure and access across the state. A preliminary BHWAC report, including updates to policy recommendations aimed at addressing barriers to recruitment and retention of well-qualified behavioral health professionals was completed in 2021.

Common Goals of State Behavioral Health Workforce Centers

Many state BHWCs, such as those in Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington, are funded through state general funds to support behavioral health workforce development. The Behavioral Health Workforce Center Alliance (BHWCA) is a national network of behavioral health workforce development centers from across the United States. Though they offer a high return on investment in behavioral health services, peer support workers are often stuck in low-wage roles with limited opportunity for career progression. https://www.cdcfoundation.org/howrightnow Against this backdrop, the Massachusetts Healthcare Collaborative sought to identify and address challenges in the state’s healthcare workforce pipeline, starting with peer support workers.

At the kickoff session, I was invited to speak to senior state officials from 20 states including Colorado, Missouri, Utah, and Wyoming on a solutions framework for tackling workforce challenges. These include the Connecticut Workforce Summit, the New Mexico Hospital Association, the Texas Workforce Commission, The Healthcare Management Academy, and more. Government Accountability Office (GAO) study highlighted examples that in rural areas around the country, there is a shortage of licensed supervisors and internship positions needed to attract new workers. This initiative will especially benefit the clinicians working in nonprofit community-based clinics serving the state’s highest-need families. Connecticut’s CT Health Horizons program, of which CHDI is a partner, is cited in the article as a strong example of a state program providing tuition assistance for the state’s social workers, nurses, and psychiatric nurse practitioners.

• A recent study of the state’s Medicaid rates by the Department of Social Services (DSS) revealed that rates for behavioral health services are alarmingly low compared to similar states, averaging just 62% of those in similar states.
• States like Colorado and Ohio demonstrate effective strategies in addressing barriers to entry and supporting existing professionals.
• Through persistent advocacy and innovative approaches, the vision of a dynamic and enduring workforce can be realized.
• Illinois’ Behavioral Health Workforce Education Center (BHWC) is directly funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Community Services Fund, with partial funding by the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) of 2019 that allocates 20 percent of remaining cannabis tax revenue to address substance abuse and mental health needs.

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