Workforce Solutions Jam: Skilling Up the Behavioral Health Workforce

Practical Solutions From Higher Education

There’s never been a more urgent need to prepare current professionals to meet growing mental health and substance use treatment needs. Substantial shortages are projected across key roles by 2037, including mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, addiction counselors and social workers. These shortages are driven not only by increased demand, but also by burnout, limited scopes of practice and gaps in ongoing training.

This month’s Workforce Solutions Jam will build on April’s conversation — Strengthening Workforce Pathways: The Role of Higher Education in Training Future Behavioral Health Professionals — and spotlight how higher education institutions are innovating to close workforce readiness gaps and ensure that current professionals are equipped and supported to meet increasingly complex care needs.

Panelists from leading universities will share examples of how they are aligning academic programs with workforce realities, expanding access to continuing education and partnering with employers to strengthen the behavioral health pipeline.

Key highlights of the June session include:

• Exploring strategies for upskilling current professionals to meet emerging and evolving demands in behavioral health care.
• Understanding how academic programs are partnering with employers to align training with real-world needs and expectations.
• Learning about innovative models for continuing education and professional development that support retention and career growth.

The Workforce Solutions Jam is a monthly webinar to build national momentum and encourage collaboration. It is hosted as a partnership between the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, The College for Behavioral Health Leadership and Health Management Associates.