Filling The Gaps in the Behavioral Health Workforce

The need for mental health and substance use disorder services is alarmingly high, yet the U.S. faces a severe shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, and other specialists who provide this care. As of March 2021, approximately 37% of Americans lived in mental health shortage areas. To address the huge gap between need and care, a new BPC report, Filling the Gaps in the Behavioral Health Workforce, recommends federal policy solutions to bolster the role of behavioral health workers such as peer specialists, community health workers, and paraprofessionals—as well as community members who can help support the licensed workforce, and in turn, ensure more Americans’ behavioral health needs are met.

Please join BPC’s expert panel on Tuesday, January 24 for a discussion on these recommendations and the importance of strengthening the role of the nonclinical behavioral health workforce.