OPINION: My plan to grow the mental health care workforce
OPINION:
A few months ago, I asked my constituents to share how mental health has impacted their lives. This story jumped out to me:
“I struggled [with mental health] throughout my life. I ended up stabilizing and obtaining a master’s in social work through the [Public Service Loan Forgiveness] program. Went on to obtain my clinical license and now work as a Psychiatric Social Worker. I have near-weekly appointments with a psychologist and am able to help others in their own journey as a result of having my mental health needs treated and supported.”
By all accounts, this is an incredible success story. My constituent struggled with their own mental health but was ultimately able to get the help they needed, and as a result went on to help others. Unfortunately, this story isn’t possible everywhere in the U.S., but it should be.
The United States is facing a growing crisis in addiction, mental and behavioral health. In 2023, more than one in five adults experienced a mental illness, equal to 50 million Americans. Of those adults with a mental illness, a majority received no treatment. An additional 15% of adults in the United States in 2023 reported a substance use disorder, and of those, 93% did not receive treatment.
Like many Americans, mental health has impacted my family. Growing up, I saw my sister struggle with her own mental health, and I saw the impact mental health care or the lack of it can have on the patient and the family. Unfortunately, too many Americans can’t receive the treatment and support they need. Even as the demand for mental and behavioral health treatments grows, the number of providers hasn’t kept up.
In 2023, an estimated 169 million Americans lived in a mental health workforce shortage area. It’s clear that addressing the growing needs of Americans means that we need to address the addiction, mental and behavioral health care workforce shortage. Thankfully, this is where Congress can help.
One of the key barriers to entry for mental health providers is the cost of school. In 2019, the average graduate with a master’s in social work had $67,000 in debt. However, students pursuing graduate degrees in psychology take on an average debt load between $95,000-$160,000. Without taking steps to address this disparity, we’ll continue to have a shortage of mental health professionals.
One of the key barriers to entry for mental health providers is the cost of school. In 2019, the average graduate with a master’s in social work had $67,000 in debt. However, students pursuing graduate degrees in psychology take on an average debt load between $95,000-$160,000. Without taking steps to address this disparity, we’ll continue to have a shortage of mental health professionals.
That’s why I reintroduced the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery for (STAR) Behavioral Health Act also known as the STAR Plus Scholarship Act.
This legislation tackles the workforce shortage head-on by creating a new federal scholarship program for students pursuing degrees in mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment fields. These scholarships would cover tuition and costs for students seeking degrees like social work, counseling, psychology, psychiatry, or marriage and family therapy.
But this program isn’t just about making schooling more affordable it’s about delivering care to the communities that need it most. To receive the scholarship, students must commit to working in a mental health professional shortage area or in a community with high overdose death rates after they graduate. These are the very communities where the need for help is greatest, and where support is often hardest to find.
By investing in mental health professionals now, we can save resources in the long run by reducing the number of mental, behavioral, and addiction crises and by cutting back on costly emergency room dependence.
To address the addiction, mental and behavioral crisis in this country, we must reduce barriers to practice for our country’s future mental and behavioral health providers. Mental health care isn’t something that impacts just red or blue Americans. It impacts all Americans. By helping our students to access scholarships to pursue degrees in these fields, we can address the workforce shortage. And as my constituent’s story shows, when one person gets the care they need, they can go on to serve even more people in their community. It’s a win for everyone.