A rise in behavioral health needs coupled with dwindling provider numbers shifts care dynamics
We have reached a crossroads in behavioral health. Every year, there are fewer licensed behavioral health specialists in the field, but the need for them is steadily increasing.
A recent report from the Health Resources and Services Administration warns by 2030, there will be 20 percent fewer psychiatrists nationwide.
This tipping point has been looming for decades. The opioid crisis, the stagnation of Medicare-funded graduate medical education residency spots for these professionals and retirement drain are only a handful of reasons for the shortage.
On the surface, the implications seem obvious. Those with mental health conditions and substance use disorders are waiting longer for care. A poll from the National Center for Mental Wellbeing found 62 percent of their member organizations have seen growing patient waitlists. Digging deeper, however, there are greater repercussions for those seeking services, their providers and the families of both.
Shifting care dynamics
Social support is important for everyone, and it’s vital to the recovery and sustained well-being of those with mental health and substance use disorders. But if the predicted behavioral health workforce shortage comes to fruition, families may be forced to take on a greater role.
Rather than acting as additional support to a physician-created plan, many family members may become responsible for the well-being of their loved ones while they await treatment. Although well-intended, family caretakers are often not trained in appropriate strategies for treating mental health or substance use disorder, which may lead to burnout and strained familial relationships.
Additionally, parents with untreated mental health or substance use disorders often contribute to their children’s risk of developing similar conditions. Prompt, informed treatment helps not only those seeking it, but their families as well, sometimes for generations.
Who helps the helpers?
The mental well-being of behavioral health providers is inextricable from these shortages. Community providers are burnt out, often underpaid and under-reimbursed, and the current shortages contribute hugely to this issue. As waitlists grow longer, many providers will have to choose between increasing their workload, moving to cash-only private practice or leaving the field entirely. Increased workloads come with more hectic hours, less time with their own families and the potential for providing lower quality care as they encounter burnout and compassion fatigue. Cash-only practices that do not pay dividends and providers choosing to leave the field only exacerbates the current challenges.
The issue of the behavioral health workforce shortage is complicated, and the approach to solving it will need to be multi-faceted. But there is hope.
Beginning in 2023, the federal government plans to add 1,000 additional Medicare-supported residency slots, which will aid in the recruitment and placement of future psychiatrists. Additionally, the shift toward telehealth is beneficial for those seeking behavioral health services and providers alike. Telehealth practices allow providers greater control over their work-life balance while increasing access to those that need it.
While the reality of the behavioral health provider shortage is sobering, and its repercussions cannot be ignored, there are many promising solutions on the horizon. At FEI, our behavioral health case management solutions help ease administrative burdens so health and human services agencies and their partner providers can streamline the delivery of behavioral health services and focus more on what matters, caring for those that need it most.
