Mental health care lags in Arizona, even as the need grows
Despite the growing need for mental health services, Arizona faces a significant shortage of mental health professionals, only meeting 40% of its current workforce needs.
Ranking 47th in the nation in terms of access to care, residents struggle to get help.
To make matters worse, the demand for mental health services is only expected to grow, putting added pressure on an already stressed system.
Incidents of mental health issues are increasing. Rates of depression and anxiety, as well as drug overdoses and suicide, have risen over the last several years.
Suicide reached a 12-year high in 2022. About 20% of the adult population is dealing with a mental health condition, and 42% of teens report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
Arizona needs more behavioral health workers
Meanwhile, the vacancies in the behavioral health workforce continue to grow.
According to the Arizona Board of Regents, the state needs more than 2,400 behavioral health workers in the next six years. The U.S. Department of Labor projects Arizona will need approximately 4,700 social workers by 2030.
This gap is worsened by the trend of mental health care clinicians reportedly leaving the field, sometimes even to retail or food service, due to abysmal compensation and a growing cost of living.
Solving Arizona’s mental health crisis begins with addressing the mental health care workforce crisis.
This can only be done by removing obstacles to quality education, simplifying and accelerating the path to licensure, and retaining a workforce through sustainable and fair compensation.
Low pay, high education costs are barriers
Financial barriers are a major hurdle for many candidates seeking licensure in mental health fields.
The costs associated with acquiring a graduate degree, as well as accruing supervised clinical hours, licensing exams and test preparation materials are substantial.
It becomes incredibly difficult to draw people to the field when the costs of becoming a qualified clinician vastly outweigh the potential compensation.
Opinion:Arizona’s mental health care system is still failing
Some local organizations are working to make an impact. The Arizona Department of Education has used federal funds to fill unfunded counselor and social work positions in schools, as has the state’s Medicaid program.
Colleges like Rio Salado are offering associate degree and certificate options in areas like addictions and substance abuse to get more students in the field.
There also has been an increase in online programs available to help reduce the burden of access to education.
Programs help, but more investment is needed
Clinical supervision alone can cost more than $10,000, a cost often left to graduates.
A recent study suggests that as many as 57% of eligible graduates do not acquire full licensure due to the steep costs. Arizona needs more programming to help relieve these financial burdens.
The mental health care field desperately needs qualified clinicians who can commit to the work for the long haul. If delivering high-quality mental health care is to be a lifelong career, then clinicians need to be adequately compensated and given affordable access to first-rate continuing education.
An investment in our clinicians is an investment in the mental health of our community.
Arizona’s mental health workforce shortage is a large and pressing issue that requires multifaceted solutions. Initiatives by local schools to enroll more students in the field are vital steps toward addressing this crisis, but more must be done.
Sizable, systemic investments must be made in the mental health care system if we hope to fill workforce vacancies and make an impact on the growing need for behavioral health care — ultimately, helping those who need it the most.
Nick Norman is a licensed independent clinical social worker and the business relationship manager at Mindful Therapy Group, a network of licensed, independent mental health clinicians serving several states, including Arizona. Reach the team at [email protected].
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