As the aging population grows, further increasing demand for long-term care (LTC) providers, some evidence suggests that employing more physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) may be and effective solution to meeting this demand. This report describes a study that analyzed LTC job posting data from 2014 to better understand employer demand for PAs…
The supply of behavioral health providers has struggled in recent years to keep up with increased access to and demand for services. A Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a potential data collection solution for improved workforce planning needed to address the shortage. However, more information is needed about the efficacy and feasibility of using MDS…
The expansion of access to treatment and preventative services has led to an increase in interprofessional healthcare teams. Integrating social workers onto these teams requires that all members of the team understand what roles and functions social workers can bring to the table. This article describes a case of a social worker on an interprofessional…
Many Nebraskans suffer from behavior health issues, but many in rural areas are not able to get the care they need due to socio-economic status, stigma, and the lack of qualified providers in areas that are geographically isolated. This report describes a study that examined behavioral health workforce data and conducted interviews with providers and…
There is broad consensus that the ubiquity of opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States constitutes an epidemic. Medication assisted treatment (MAT), which utilizes medications alongside psychosocial treatments and services has been shown to be highly effective for treating OUD, but implementation is low. This report describes a study that utilized geospatial analysis to…
This report summarizes trends in the direct provision of oral health services by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) over recent years and factors that predict the likelihood of an FQHC providing direct general and/or specialty oral health services. The analyses use both current and historical data to describe existing oral health service capacity in FQHCs…
More than 5 million older adults in the US are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and the prevalence of ADRD is expected to rise to 16 million by 2050. Dementia care specialists (DCSs) have been proposed as a solution in California aimed at keeping older individuals with ADRD in their homes…
In recent years, the next generation accountable care organization (Next Gen ACO) model has emerged as a solution for lowering costs and increasing quality of care. However, there is little understanding about how workforce roles differ in this new model of care. This report describes a study that conducted interviews with leadership at eighteen different…
Many Americans do not have access to adequate care for mental health and substance use conditions due to living in mental health professional shortage areas, cost of care, or other factors. Telehealth is seen as a promising strategy for reducing costs and increasing access to care for patients. This report describes a study that utilized…
Providing behavioral health to inmates with mental health and substance abuse disorders in correctional facilities is important for helping to maintain a safe prison environment and reducing rates of recidivism once those inmates transition out of the prison system. However, due to behavioral health workforce shortages and other factors, most prisoners do not receive adequate…
