Mental Health Counselors (MHCs) are a large and rapidly growing segment of the mental health workforce. However, little is known about this workforce other than its education and training requirements. This report describes a study that utilized an online survey to examine the characteristics of the current MHC workforce for the purposes of developing a…
Unmet need for behavioral health care remains high. Behavioral health provider shortages and associated maldistribution of practitioners across the country may contribute to suboptimal behavioral healthcare availability, with an estimated 59.8% of the 5,035 mental health provider shortage areas in the US located in rural and partially rural areas. In addition, lack of access to…
Evaluation provides valuable information about the quality and effectiveness of a training program and offers insight into how current training activities fit within the mission, vision, and core values of a program. The Health Workforce Training Program Evaluation Toolkit is a comprehensive “program evaluation 101” resource for both new and established programs seeking to learn…
Many healthcare organizations are rethinking provider roles and responsibilities to help their workforce best serve the needs of their patients. At the same time, regulations at the state and organizational levels restrict providers scope of practice. This article discusses potential adjustments to scope of practice regulations to allow healthcare organizations to provide the best possible…
Rural communities have some of the largest need for behavioral health care providers and yet the lowest availability. This is reflected in the fact that more than 60% of rural Americans live in a mental Health Professional Shortage Area, and more than 90% of psychologists and psychiatrists and 80% of social workers practice exclusively in…
Child and adolescent psychologists are important for the mental health development of these groups. However, little is known about the supply of psychologists who have the right training to meet the mental health needs of children and adolescents. This report describes a study that analyzed multiple sources of data on child and adolescent psychologists to…
There is demonstrated evidence that medications used for treating opioid use disorder (MOUD)—such as buprenorphine, methadone, and extended-release naltrexone—are effective at treating opioid use disorder (OUD) and reducing associated harms. However, these medications are heavily underutilized, largely due to the under-supply of providers trained and willing to prescribe the medications. This article discusses physicians’ comparative…
Medicaid is the largest single payer for behavioral health services, and managed care is the predominant delivery system for Medicaid enrollees. However, states have the flexibility to decide if behavioral health providers and their services are reimbursable and subject to same-day billing restrictions. The state-specific nature of the Medicaid program, overwhelming use of managed care…
Buprenorphine is shown to be an effective medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder. It promotes long-term recovery and decreases the risk of mortality. Although Medicaid programs largely cover buprenorphine products, many continue to apply prior authorization (PA) requirements. This report studies how state Medicaid programs apply PA requirements to buprenorphine products.ArrayReport Arrayhttps://www.healthworkforceta.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/BHWRC_Coverage-of-Buprenorphine-Medications.pdfFebruary 2,…
The behavioral health workforce is currently experiencing a shortage of providers across the United States. This workforce shortfall has likely been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, though it is currently unclear how policy changes and systems-level factors within behavioral health care will impact workforce capacity. This report investigates systems-level factors and service delivery following COVID-19-related…
