For A Stable Workforce—Ascend & Thrive

Since the pandemic, the health and human service system has experienced a severe shortage of behavioral health professionals, which has caused long waiting lists for services and closed programs (see The Staffing Search). In response, state governments have used a wide variety of approaches to expand the workforce, outlined in a new report,;Trends In State Strategies To Improve The Behavioral Health Workforce.;

Some have focused on recruitment and retention incentives, like Michigan’s 2023–2024 fiscal year budget allocating $5 million for scholarships in behavioral health careers.;And there are programs to address the maldistribution of . . .