2024 advocacy piece

5 Investment in the Behavioral Healthcare Workforce Is the Starting Point for Good Health for All The Medicaid and fee-for-service rates provided for services contracted by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) simply do not reimburse organizations adequately to effectively compete in today’s labor market. An infusion of $60 million for rates and contracts for DMHAS programs supplemented by $5 million for recruitment and retention bonuses and $5 million in incentives for behavioral health organizations to become field placement sites and provide clinical supervision of interns will help stabilize and expand the workforce that is needed. Vacancy Rates for Selected Professions The numbers speak for themselves. Vacancy rates, how long it takes to get an appointment, and the level of unmet demand for behavioral health care all underscore the severe workforce shortage in the behavioral health field. It is not surprising. Behavioral health programs have historically been underfunded and, therefore, non-competitive in the labor market. Recruitment and retention difficulties have existed for decades. The pandemic has had severe impacts on the workforce in all industries, but in particular on health care. Behavioral health organizations started at a disadvantage that they have not been able to surmount and continue to see worsening staff shortages. NJAMHAA June 2023 Vacancy Survey Psychiatrist LCADC RN LCSW LAC MSW Total APN CADC LPN LSW Other BA LPC Vacancies Filled Positions 17 % 28 % 29 % 50 % 26 % 18 % 28 % 33 % 15 % 31 % 24 % 22 % 24 %