Office of Children’s Mental Health Director Linda Hall has announced the publication of a new fact sheet Addressing Shortages in the Mental Health Workforce and what our communities, schools, and providers can do to make a difference.
Mental health workforce shortages have far-reaching implications for children and providers alike. Shortages inhibit access to culturally competent and geographically diverse practitioners and create large disparities for both children of color and those living in rural areas.
When the supply of providers cannot accommodate the demand for services, it can lead to an increase in distress, family conflict, and risk of suicide. Hall called for policymakers to increase compensation for mental health providers to improve rates of recruitment and retention of mental health professionals, and for providers to increase the cultural responsiveness of their mental health services by providing family-centered care and sharing treatment decision making with families.
Communities, meanwhile, can strengthen connections between behavioral health organizations, schools, and local community organizations to increase access, and parents can leverage their lived experience with the mental health system and join the workforce as peer specialists.
