Solutions for a Crisis: Behavioral Health Workforce Development
The twin crises presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing opioid epidemic have converged, placing significant strain on behavioral health organizations. Behavioral health leaders have demonstrated remarkable flexibility in responding to increasing demand for services and evolving regulatory guidance. However, the backbone of the behavioral health workforce—its frontline workers—is showing signs of strain due to staffing shortages and the increasing demand for behavioral health services.
As burnout rates climb and job vacancies remain unfilled, Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) is ready to help you respond to your workforce challenges. With our expertise, experience, and dedication to workforce development (WFD), we will partner with you to identify strategies best suited to your organization’s needs and mission.
For over 35 years, AHP has been improving health and human services systems of care and business operations, helping organizations and individuals reach their full potential. We have decades of experience in capacity building WFD across government entities, nonprofits, and providers. AHP is a leader in the field, pioneering new and data-driven pathways for targeted and effective WFD.
Building the Behavioral Health Workforce
AHP’s Workforce Innovation Lab for Behavioral Health and Human Services is ready to address your workforce challenges with:
- Data-driven gap analysis: Providing environmental scans, analysis, and consultation focused on improving programs and systems.
- Retention and recruitment: Offering thought partnership, training, and technical assistance to help identify and address staffing challenges.
- Career ladders: Promoting transparent and thorough career mapping using a competency-based framework to inform recruitment, hiring, training, and professional development.
- Strategic partnerships and pipeline development: Convening educational partners, the public workforce system, and community organizations to coordinate outreach and engagement with the next generation of behavioral health professionals.
- Alternative payment methods (value-based reimbursement): Support strategic planning, analytics, and training amid the paradigm shift in behavioral health payment
How Do We Promote and Grow a Sustainable Workforce in a Crisis?
A National Problem
The country faces an extraordinary mental and behavioral health crisis, with care and support systems struggling to keep pace. As the need for services continues to increase, the number of individuals entering the behavioral health workforce is shrinking.
The Urgency
During the pandemic and the associated economic decline, many experienced isolation, fear, and a loss of trust in our institutions. This has heightened the risk of anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, suicidality, and gun violence.
As a result, the behavioral health workforce is overwhelmed with the need for services, leading many providers to simply burn out. Behavioral health professionals endure low compensation, emotional strain, and heavy administrative burdens, making behavioral health seem less promising as a career path.
The pipeline of students, interns, peers, and other aspiring frontline behavioral health staff must be revisited and
developed.
But there is hope. AHP is ready to partner with organizations to implement solutions, promote equity,
and rebuild the behavioral health workforce. The time to act is now, and AHP is here to help you move your organization forward.
The Solution
AHP will work with you to assess and identify short-, mid-, and long-terms goals. We assist with strategic
planning and effective implementation, from changing workplace culture to training supervisors to expanding outreach, education, and recruitment efforts.
Improve workplace culture and retention
- Promote inclusive culture, reduce burnout, and increase well-being and engagement.
- Provide training and support to supervisors to improve their practice.
Team with experts
- Integrate behavioral health into primary care.
- Maximize peers’ potential.
- Offer microcredentialing.
Expand the workforce pipeline and recruitment
- Create transparent and comprehensive career pathways.
- Develop strategies to improve outreach and recruitment.
- Establish collaborative partnerships among stakeholders.
Conduct data analysis and management
- Use population health data to identify needs.
- Use data to drive policy at local and state levels.
Implement value-based reimbursement
- Use guaranteed spending to enhance compensation.
- Establish equity for noncredentialed employees.
About Us
Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP) creates powerful solutions to improve health and human services systems. By partnering with the federal government, states, municipalities, healthcare systems, and nonprofits, we help people experiencing the greatest disadvantages lead full and productive lives. We are national leaders in training and technical assistance, research and evaluation, publishing, and dedicated consulting. On issues from workforce development to mental health, substance use disorders to housing and homelessness, we help our clients enhance behavioral health care through systems change. AHP was founded nearly 40 years ago to develop solutions for some of the biggest social infrastructure challenges across the nation. Our company has offices in metro Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Find out more at www.ahpnet.com.
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