Minimum data sets (MDS) can be effective for the standardized collection of granular workforce data that allows policymakers to confront important health access issues. In 2016, the Behavioral Health Workforce Research center developed and refined a comprehensive MDS for the entire behavioral health workforce.

This report describes a study that conducted interviews and focus groups with key informants from a variety of stakeholder groups to determine whether the current behavioral health workforce MDS is feasible for use by different kinds of organizations and what strategies are effective for collecting standardized workforce data.