April 13, 2023
It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic and its ripple effects caused an unprecedented workforce shortage. For community behavioral health, this shortage has reached crisis levels.
In Washington, the vacancy rate for behavioral health professionals with advanced degrees was an astounding 29% in 2022, with a turnover rate of 32%—trending up from 2021, according to a survey by the Washington Council for Behavioral Health.
While community behavioral health providers are some of the largest employers in the areas we serve, decades of underfunding have made it nearly impossible to recruit and retain professionals.
Read the full article here.