scholarly journals ADVANCING POLICY TO BUILD A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE THAT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S665-S665
Author(s):  
Kathryn G Kietzman ◽  
Alina Palimaru ◽  
Janet C Frank
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
State Planning ◽  
Health Delivery ◽  
County Mental Health ◽  
Workforce Education And Training ◽  
Behavioral Health Workforce

Abstract California’s Mental Health Services Act has infused funding for workforce education and training into the public mental health system. However, funding has not kept pace with an existing behavioral health workforce shortage crisis, the rapid growth of an aging population, and the historical lack of geriatric training in higher education for the helping professions. This study draws on findings from a recent evaluation of how older adults are served by California’s public mental health delivery system, and a review of state planning documents and academic literature, to describe gaps and deficiencies in the workforce that serves older adults. While California has more than 80,000 licensed behavioral health professionals in a variety of disciplines, very few have specialized training in geriatrics. Across the U.S., there are fewer than 1,800 geriatric psychiatrists and only about 3% of medical students take any geriatrics electives during their training. Very few nurses (1%), psychologists (4%), or social workers (4%) have training in and/or specialize in geriatrics. Of additional concern in California is the lack of representation of ethnic and racial minorities, and rural/urban geographic disparities in the distribution of the behavioral health workforce. Recommendations for advancing policy change to improve the preparation and distribution of the geriatric behavioral workforce are presented to three distinct audiences: state policymakers and administrators; educational institutions, accrediting bodies, and licensing boards; and county mental health/behavioral health departments and their contracted providers.

scholarly journals The Current Psychiatric Mental Health Registered Nurse Workforce

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany J. Phoenix
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Registered Nursing ◽  
Data Limitations ◽  
Behavioral Health Workforce

OBJECTIVE: To define and describe the current psychiatric mental health registered nursing (PMHN) workforce providing care for persons with mental health and substance use conditions, evaluate sources of data relevant to this workforce, identify additional data needs, and discuss areas for action and further investigation. METHOD: This article uses currently available data, much of it unpublished, to describe the current PMHN workforce. RESULTS: The available data indicate that PMHNs represent the second largest group of behavioral health professionals in the United States. As is true of the overall nursing workforce, PMHNs are aging, overwhelming female, and largely Caucasian, although the PMHN workforce is becoming more diverse as younger nurses enter the field. PMHNs are largely employed in the mental health specialty sector, and specifically in institutional settings. Similar to other behavioral health professionals, a significant shortage of PMHNs exists in rural areas. Because of data limitations and difficulty accessing the best available data on the PMHN workforce, it is often overlooked or mischaracterized in published research and government reports on the behavioral health workforce. CONCLUSIONS: Although PMHNs are one of the largest groups in the behavioral health workforce, they are largely invisible in the psychiatric literature. Psychiatric nursing must correct misperceptions about the significance of the PMHN workforce and increase awareness of its importance among government agencies, large health care organizations, and within the broader nursing profession.

Behavioral Health Workforce Development in the United States

2016 ◽  
pp. 37-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Hoge ◽  
Gail W. Stuart ◽  
John A. Morris ◽  
Leighton Y. Huey ◽  
Michal T. Flaherty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Receive Treatment ◽  
National Drug Control Policy ◽  
Behavioral Health Workforce ◽  
The U.S

Mental health and substance use conditions are among the most prominent causes of illness and disability in the U.S. Yet less than half of the individuals with these conditions receive treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2011; Office of National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP], 2013). While there are many impediments to accessing care, the absence of a workforce that is of sufficient size and adequately trained is a significant factor (Olfson, 2016). This chapter provides an overview of the U.S. behavioral health workforce and describes seven strategic areas in which activity has been undertaken to strengthen it. The initiatives of the Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce are presented to highlight these strategic areas, which include assessment and planning; competency identification and development; roles for persons in recovery and family members; integrated care and interprofessional collaboration; workforce development in substance use; diversity and cultural competency; and knowledge dissemination and adoption of best practices.

Behavioral Health Workforce Development in the United States

2019 ◽  
pp. 433-455
Author(s):  
Michael A. Hoge ◽  
Gail W. Stuart ◽  
John A. Morris ◽  
Leighton Y. Huey ◽  
Michal T. Flaherty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
Receive Treatment ◽  
National Drug Control Policy ◽  
Behavioral Health Workforce ◽  
The U.S

Mental health and substance use conditions are among the most prominent causes of illness and disability in the U.S. Yet less than half of the individuals with these conditions receive treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2011; Office of National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP], 2013). While there are many impediments to accessing care, the absence of a workforce that is of sufficient size and adequately trained is a significant factor (Olfson, 2016). This chapter provides an overview of the U.S. behavioral health workforce and describes seven strategic areas in which activity has been undertaken to strengthen it. The initiatives of the Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce are presented to highlight these strategic areas, which include assessment and planning; competency identification and development; roles for persons in recovery and family members; integrated care and interprofessional collaboration; workforce development in substance use; diversity and cultural competency; and knowledge dissemination and adoption of best practices.

The Core 4 Clinical Model: Strengthening the rural behavioral health workforce through a focus on foundational clinical skills.

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-128
Author(s):  
David K. Dan ◽  
Amy D. Herschell ◽  
Tiberiu Bodea-Crisan ◽  
Patricia L. Schake ◽  
James G. Gavin
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Clinical Model ◽  
The Core ◽  
Behavioral Health Workforce

scholarly journals Enhancing Behavioral Health Competencies for Senior Center Staff: Lessons Learned From Workforce Training Efforts

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Bronwyn Keefe ◽  
Jennifer Tripken
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Senior Center ◽  
Senior Centers ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Center Staff ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Increases in the numbers of older adults with mental health and substance use concerns compel us to identify best practices in training to address these issues. Senior Centers are an ideal location for behavioral health education programs as they are the go-to place for many older adults. This session will describe a program funded by The Retirement Research Foundation and offered in collaboration with Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research at Boston University and NCOA to increase senior center staff knowledge and skills. Approximately 250 senior center staff in Illinois, Florida, and Wisconsin completed an online certificate in Behavioral Health and Aging. Results show that 100% of respondents felt that the training was useful for their job; 93% felt that they will be a more effective worker as a result of the training; and 97% felt that the information they learned in the training will make a difference with the people they serve. We held key informant interviews to assess the impact of training and participants stated that their knowledge, skills, and behaviors were influenced by the program. At the organizational level, leaders reported new programming related to behavioral health and revised practices and protocols. This presentation will cover: (1) the extent to which training participants mastered the competencies needed for effective practice; (2) knowledge and skills gained from the training program; (3) Senior Centers’ capacity to identify and refer older adults to mental health services; and (4) organizational changes related to behavioral health programming with older adults.

scholarly journals Access to public mental health services among older adults with severe mental illness

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd P. Gilmer ◽  
Victoria D. Ojeda ◽  
Dahlia Fuentes ◽  
Viviana Criado ◽  
Piedad Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Public Mental Health Services
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