WHO WILL DO THE WORK? - Strengthening the Children’s Behavioral Health Workforce to Meet Families’ Increasing Behavioral Health Needs

longstanding strains on the behavioral health system and its workforce.2 This Policy Brief explores Connecticut’s behavioral health workforce crisis and presents recommendations State and national leaders, in response to demand from for recruiting, retaining, and diversifying the workforce families, advocates, and providers, have acknowledged to fully meet the needs of the state’s children. [...] of state residents living in an area that qualified as a Although some of these changes have benefited designated “Mental Health Professional Shortage Area.”3 behavioral health clinicians and clients, they have This was prior to the rise in behavioral health needs and exacerbated recruitment and retention challenges for workforce shortages during the pandemic. [...] In its 2011 report, the Connecticut Workforce workforce sufficiently and better meet the needs of Alliance on Behavioral Health developed a “blueprint” children in the state, we must recruit more individuals associated with various behavioral health professions, and a more diverse group into the field. [...] The time and cost associated an organizational culture that prioritizes diversity, equity, with mandatory supervision hours, licensing exams and inclusion, and can offer staff training on cultural and associated preparatory courses, and the licensing responsiveness and anti-racism. [...] identifying appropriate and safe roles to task-shift Build upon the governor’s initiative to strengthen the from licensed staff to these professionals, and enacting pipeline and increase diversity among social work changes in coverage and reimbursement policies students by extending the pipeline upstream to high among insurers as needed to support diversification school students and broadening it.