National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative

Addressing the nation’s mental health workforce shortage

Nearly 60 million people in the U.S. — about 1 in 5 — experience mental illness, yet the country has only one mental health provider for every 340 people. This shortage of providers contributes to over 122 million people living in a mental health workforce shortage area.

An important component of the workforce shortage is that 54% of people who earn master’s degrees in mental health face financial, time and regulatory barriers to clinical licensure that force them to walk away and never become licensed.

To address the mental health and substance use treatment workforce shortage and to increase the number of licensed clinicians available to serve clients, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, in partnership with Resilient Georgia, Metro State University – Denver, and Colorado Health Institute, launched the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative (NMHWAC) Program through grant funding provided by Kaiser Permanente.

Join the Accelerator!

We are currently accepting applications for the January 2026 cohort. Applications will be open Nov. 3-16.

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Program Overview

This initiative aims to expand access to mental health care by increasing the number of qualified licensed clinicians who can provide mental health and substance use treatment to clients, while also building a workforce that better represents and understands the communities it serves. This program launched in September 2023 in Colorado and Georgia, expanding in May 2024 to include southern California, Hawaii and Washington. In October 2024, the program was introduced in the Northwest region, comprising Oregon and southwest Washington.

Program Goals

  1. Increase percentage of master’s degree graduates who become licensed in target states.
  2. Increase number of patients served by partially qualified pre- and post-master’s associates.
  3. Increase the number of fully licensed master’s level mental health professionals who represent the communities being served in targeted states.
  4. Improve Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) health professional shortage area scores in identified target communities.

Empowering the Next Generation of Clinicians

Kristina Silva Pedrero Headshot

“I wasn’t sure I had the capacity to pursue my LCSW. Just thinking about navigating all the requirements for licensure, coupled with life happenings, would lead me to burnout and self-doubt. Within the program, I feel 100% supported, empowered and capable of achieving more than just this professional endeavor. I have access to mentorship, studying materials for the LCSW exam (which cost upwards of $1,000) and professional growth opportunities that I would have otherwise had to tirelessly search for and fund with the small budget I had as a new MSW graduate.”

— Kristina Silva-Pedrero, MSW, LSW, program Candidate

Learn more about our program candidates.

Program Sites

NMHWAC will support organizations (sites) in employing and retaining staff (candidates) who are on track to clinical licensure. The program will progressively expand through July 2026 using a cohort-based model.

Our Partners

MSU Denver Logo
Metropolitan State University of Denver
The Colorado Health Institute (CHI)
The Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council
Resilient Georgia
The Georgia Association of Community Service Boards, Inc. (GACSB) 
Motivo Health
The Association for Advanced Training in the Behavioral Sciences (AATBS)
University of Hawaii
California Baptist University
Seattle University
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies
Washington Council for Behavioral Health
American Institutes for Research (AIR)
Oregon Council for Behavioral Health

In the News

Read the latest news about the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative and its impact on organizations and communities across the country.

Workforce Events and Opportunities

Check out these featured events, trainings and other learning opportunities from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and our partners.

Workforce Solutions Jam

Join the Center for Workforce Solutions on the third Tuesday of each month to hear about innovative approaches to address the workforce crisis.

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Contact Us

Use the form below to submit your questions about the National Mental Health Workforce Acceleration Collaborative. A member of the National Council team will respond.

This project is 100% funded through an award from Kaiser Permanente.