title: Mental health and addiction workforce development: federal leadership is needed to address the growing crisis.
abstract: The mental health and addiction workforce has long been plagued by shortages, high turnover, a lack of diversity, and concerns about its effectiveness. This article presents a framework to guide workforce policy and practice, emphasizing the need to train other health care providers as well as individuals in recovery to address behavioral health needs; strengthen recruitment, retention, and training of specialist behavioral health providers; and improve the financial and technical assistance infrastructure to better support and sustain the workforce. The pressing challenge is to scale up existing plans and strategies and to implement them in ways that have a meaningful impact on the size and effectiveness of the workforce. The aging and increasing diversity of the US population, combined with the expanded access to services that will be created by health reform, make it imperative to take immediate action.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hoge
authors.forename: Gail W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Flaherty
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paris
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goplerud
mesh_terms: D003710:Demography; D035082:Federal Government; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010560:Personnel Selection; D011050:Policy Making; D011361:Professional Competence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Health Professions Education; Health Reform; Mental Health/Substance Abuse; Workforce Issues