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Workforce Development

Recent reports from the Institute of Medicine and the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health have identified mental health workforce issues common among states, including:

• A shortage of workers across professional disciplines, especially in rural areas
• Difficulties recruiting new workers and retaining qualified staff
• The lack of cultural diversity among the existing workforce
• Outdated educational content and teaching methods in professional and continuing education

These problems are particularly acute in Texas. Changing demographics in the state have increased the need for providers with specializations such as aging populations and children, as well as those with linguistic and cultural skills, but in many areas such providers are few or absent entirely. Payors and consumers seek providers with proficiency in evidence-based practices and recovery-oriented services, but training programs often fail to emphasize these approaches. Future shortages seem certain as many in the existing workforce approach retirement, younger providers move to other fields, and insufficient numbers of students express an interest in mental health service provision.

A swift and strategic response is essential, and many agencies are exploring ways to transform service provision to better meet the needs of Texas residents. New technologies hold potential for improving access to scarce resources and skills, especially in rural areas. Different financing structures emphasize efficiency and accountability for outcomes. Some institutions of higher education are exploring ways to bridge the gap between academia and front-line service provision.

To examine possible approaches to Texas' mental health workforce concerns, the Foundation hosted a conference entitled Innovations in Mental Health Workforce Development: Exploring the Potential for Texas on February 14, 2006. Materials from the conference, including speakers' presentations and breakout groups, are posted here.

Since the conference, the Foundation has pulled together a bevy of state and national resources on workforce issues to inform its work in the area and that of its stakeholders. The Hogg Foundation’s report The Mental Health Workforce in Texas: A Snapshot of the Issues (PDF) summarizes the key issues facing Texas.

The Foundation is using knowledge gained from the conference and the resources collected to identify steps it can take to support the state's efforts to address the workforce challenges facing Texas.