The mental health and substance use treatment workforce shortage has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — providers and people with lived experience face record-high overdose rates, increases in suicidal ideation and a continued lack of access to care.
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing has been at the forefront of driving best practice standards aimed at bolstering, educating, empowering and guiding the national workforce, and building capacity at all levels.
Workforce shortages have always been an issue, but with the COVID 19 pandemic, they have become a crisis for our field. It is vitally important for National Council to spearhead solutions, mitigate future risk and support our local community mental health and substance use treatment workforce, so those who need care have the greatest chance of receiving safe, fair access.
Leveraging the field’s leading health experts, the National Council leads the design and delivery of capacity-building research, resources and tools to advance workforce development nationally, and advocates for policies at the federal and local levels.
The National Council’s Workforce Development goal is to educate and train the current and future members of the mental health and substance use treatment workforce, from direct care delivery and peer support to C-suite executives.
