Recruitment and Retention Reduce Barriers to Care
If you’re feeling stressed out, you aren’t alone.
A new survey released in September found that 41% of Americans are currently experiencing their highest stress levels of the year. And that was just the latest survey. I’ve seen a steady trickle of polls over the summer showing that people feel overwhelmed and anxious. It’s all ages and backgrounds: adults, kids, veterans, even Olympic athletes.
Now let’s consider that finding with access to care in mind. As we observe World Mental Health Day, it’s worth acknowledging that far too many still face insurmountable barriers to access.
A March 29 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found, “People of all ages are experiencing a need for services related to mental health and substance use disorders. One out of five adults report having a mental illness, and many experience difficulty getting access to behavioral health care.”
Let’s do something about that.
Those of us in the field of mental health and substance use treatment and care have a role — and a responsibility — to do all we can to raise awareness about barriers to access and identify strategies to help people overcome those barriers.
One way that we can make it easier for people to find treatment is to fill in the vast deserts of care. As of March 2024, 122 million Americans lived in areas with mental health professional shortages. And new data from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration indicates that our workforce is shrinking. We need thousands more professionals.
The OIG reported, “Many types of behavioral health providers have reported concerns about being able to meet the increased need for behavioral health services. For example, 65% of surveyed psychologists said they had no capacity for new patients, and 68% said their wait lists were longer than they were prior to the pandemic.”
It’s outrageous that we don’t have the capacity in the field of mental health and substance use treatment and care to help those who say they need care!
Let’s address the health care continuum’s systemic shortcomings and supply multiple avenues with talent. Let’s pursue all opportunities so organizations can increase the number of peer specialists, social workers, case managers, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and administrative staff.
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The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is doing that today through some highly innovative and aggressive programs.
The National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative is the National Council’s largest workforce development project. Our goal is to increase the number of qualified licensed mental health and substance use treatment clinicians while increasing diversity in client-facing positions. This program launched in September 2023 in Colorado and Georgia, expanding in May 2024 to include southern California, Hawaii and Washington.
We’re recruiting and retaining talent through other programs, too, including job fairs to attract people to our field and training seminars to help people already in the field develop skills. That includes the Center for Workforce Solutions (CWS), a national partnership started in 2023.
Along with its partners Health Management Associates (HMA) and The College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL), CWS has compiled more than 400 recommendations from published reports by federal and state policymakers, national associations, foundations and other partners and stakeholders to serve as a roadmap for addressing the behavioral health workforce crisis.
Explore the crosswalk summary, organized by key areas of change, to see where organizations can take action to create a stronger, more equitable workforce.
CWS also hosts the Workforce Solutions Jam, a monthly webinar where participants collaborate on long-standing challenges for expanding and solidifying the behavioral health workforce.
Other CWS and National Council initiatives include our Apprenticeship Program Capacity Building project, Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program, High Performance Leadership Academy and the Middle Management Academy.
Each of these programs is vital to organizations that provide mental health and substance use treatment and care. Not only will they help with recruitment and retention, they will help eliminate barriers to care.
But I know there’s more we can do. Share your recruitment and retention strategies so we can learn from each other, and let’s continue searching for creative ways to eliminate the workforce shortage because what’s good for our field is also good for people and communities.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Private Practice
2moContinued #3- Until those in power can address the root problem these “innovations” in MH that are rarely ever backed with evidence proving safety and efficacy and hold those accountable who they’ve allowed to accumulate wealth and power comparable to God (insurance plans) who pay their CEO’s $15-35 million in annual salary and a revenue of BILLIONS from denying care that Americans are entitled to by law, we will get nowhere and our suicide rates will continue to skyrocket. Interestingly these insurance plans have sponsored “programs” where coaches are providing MH services unlawfully. And why would they do that? You can pay a coach much less than a Licensed MH Clinician. Apparently they have no problem subjecting members to harm. Some have even gone on record claiming they want to use “experimental” providers. It’s unlawful practice yet our leaders and reg agencies tasked with the responsibility of protecting consumers are silent
Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Private Practice
2moContinued #2- Most insurance plans don’t cover case management services, “prevention”, early intervention, etc etc despite the significant amount of evidence proving the critical importance of these services. #3- Many plans including Medicare and Medi-Cal plans in CA refuse to allow Registered associate clinicians under supervision of a Licensed Clinician who is contracted with the plan to see their members. Yet, they had no problem creating a reimbursement code for peer support services where there is no protocols of supervision, etc #4- How about the reimbursement rates that never come anywhere close to the standard industry rates for services??? #5- In CA insurance plans have to provide their members a routine non urgent appt with a Licensed MH provider within 10 days. If not they have to pay out of network benefits. Yet most consumers don’t know this. The plans aren’t able to do this creating access issues for their members (which are the majority of Americans with access issues). #6- Can we address the rampant unlawful practice of medicine/psychotherapy by coaches across the country and the leaders who are aiding and abetting it? There isn’t one instance where the safety of consumers is the priority
Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Private Practice
2moI appreciate your post highlighting this issue. As an LCSW, I am beyond frustrated that we continue to run in circles on the topic of access to MH care in our country as if we don’t already have the many answers to this problem. In order to address the issue of access to MH care, you have to first identify the factors that have significantly contributed to this problem driving our country into a MH crisis where the devastation is only beginning. Access to care issues are directly related to Americas insurance plans. We don’t about hear about access issues from those paying cash for MH tx. The majority of these access issues are for Americans WITH insurance. Why? #1- insurance plans take anywhere from 4-9 months to credential a licensed provider who is prohibited from seeing their members until they’re credentialed. This is even for Licensed Clinicians employed by group practices who have been contracted with the plan for years even decades. Theres a database that Licensed providers have to provide extensive information that all plans require and check yet despite all of that information they require providers to provide that same information on the insurance plans forms which is a packet. A packet for each insurance