WORKFORCE
The lack of workforce in primary care behavioral health is becoming acute. (There were over 2500 jobs for Primary Care Behavioral Health Clinicians on Indeed.com in October.)
Few graduate schools are turning out graduates who are ready to be licensed behavioral health clinicians in primary care. Most need additional training to succeed in a Primary Care setting.
To find willing behavioral health clinicians and to increase the diversity of its workforce, a primary care practice or a health system should learn to grow its own behavioral health workforce.
The New Hampshire Primary Care Behavioral Health Workforce Initiative, led by Alexander Blount, EdD, has created a website with information and tools to help policy leaders, practice administrators, and students considering careers in behavioral health find and fill jobs in primary care behavioral health.