UNC Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center

📢 Introducing the Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center housed at UNC Chapel Hill’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research! The BHWRC produces data-driven research on the workforce responsible for providing mental health and substance use services. Our mission is to improve the behavioral health and well-being of the U.S by conducting research to strengthen the current and future behavioral health workforce through exploration of the disparities that perpetuate inequities in behavioral health treatment, access, and quality. ❓ What can you expect from our page? Speaking engagement announcements, publication alerts, newsletter releases, and more! Visit and bookmark our website: https://lnkd.in/daQF4XJX Sign up for our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dnFj_TRd Find us on X: https://lnkd.in/d2ZjDRP8 #workforce #bhworkforce UNC Research

As harm reduction services continue to expand across the U.S., the question of whether certification would benefit the workforce is increasingly relevant. A new study from the UNC Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center (UNC-BHWRC) explores this topic, examining the perspectives of 152 professionals in the field. Study findings highlight both potential benefits, such as standardizing training and legitimizing the field, and challenges of certification, including concerns about exclusion and the importance of lived experience. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ejngcTCy

Harm reduction services, such syringe exchange programs and overdose prevention and reversal, are essential for addressing the complex needs of individuals who use substances. However, there is limited knowledge about the workforce that designs and implements these critical services. A new study from the UNC Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center (UNC-BHWRC) examines the composition of the harm reduction workforce across the U.S., exploring key questions like: • Who is providing behavioral health services in these organizations? • How do referral processes vary depending on the type of worker involved? Understanding these dynamics is crucial for improving service delivery and ensuring effective support for those who need it most. Explore the findings to learn more about the people powering harm reduction efforts. https://lnkd.in/eFuTMRRN

The Center for Health Workforce Studies just released the 2024 Health Workforce Research Center (HWRC) Annual Report which highlights the work produced by HRSA-funded HWRCs. The report highlights studies completed from Year 1 (2022-2023). These products focused on workforce training, retention, rural behavioral health care, and the harm reduction and peer support specialist workforces. Read the report to learn more about these projects: https://lnkd.in/gpckbZ-u. We look forward to completing our Year 2 (2023-2024) projects: https://lnkd.in/d34Xzrie. 

On World Mental Health Day, we acknowledge the vital role mental health plays in our lives. The BHWRC works towards identifying mechanisms to support the behavioral health workforce. Explore our projects and commitment to advancing behavioral health care: https://lnkd.in/gTF6eVtU #WorldMentalHealthDay #behavioralhealth

A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill UNC Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center (UNC-BHWRC) explored the critical role and distribution of Behavioral Health Clinicans (BHCs), including counselors, psychologists, and social workers in disadvantaged communities across the U.S using Area Disadvantaged Index (ADI) scores. The results found there were fewer BHCs in areas of high disadvantage, including in rural areas, as compared to non-rural areas. Increasing access to behavioral health care in socially disadvantaged communities requires a workforce equitably positioned in high-need areas in addition to targeted payment and practice regulation policies. Join us in exploring the full study to understand how these findings and potential policy interventions can help BHCs meet the needs of vulnerable communities: https://lnkd.in/eksX7fPG  

Our end-of-summer newsletter is out! 🗞 🌼 Dive into our latest publications and presentations from this summer and find out what we have in store for the fall! https://lnkd.in/dKZUN3au To stay updated with our latest news, sign up for the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/dN5tDxqB

🚨 Publication Alert 🚨 Understanding the Pathway from Undergraduate to Graduate Degrees in Social Work to Diversify the Behavioral Health Workforce was published in the the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research: https://lnkd.in/dx7Y5qEH Authored by Todd Jensen, PhD, MSW, Brianna Lombardi, Brooke Lombardi, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW-A, Orrin Ware, and Lisa Zerden, this study used the National Survey of College Graduates to understand the pipeline of diverse Bachelor of Social Work graduates to Master of Social Work programs in order to assess how student demographics, educational programs, and loan debt burden impact pathways into the profession. Learn more about the project: https://lnkd.in/dKYPZZ3t

🚨 New publication alert🚨 Behavioral Health Workforce Distribution in Socially Disadvantaged Communities was recently published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research: https://lnkd.in/dezVNpqS Authored by Brianna Lombardi, Lisa Zerden, Todd Jensen, PhD, MSW, Evan Galloway, and Maria Gaiser, this study examined the proportion of the BH workforce co-located in high-need areas by analyzing the geographic location of three BH professions across a standardized index of area disadvantage. Read more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/dV9vdRYR

Headed to the Postpartum Support International annual meeting ❓ BHWRC Research Associate Brooke Lombardi, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW-A is presenting two posters on Saturday at the 1:15-2:15 session that you do not want to miss! 1️⃣ Title: Trends in the Physician Workforce Treating Commercially Insured Patients with Perinatal Mental Health Disorders Authors: Brooke Lombardi, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW-A, Brianna Lombardi, Neil Kamdar, Erica Richman, and Sarah E. (Betsy) Bledsoe, PhD, MPhil, MSW 2️⃣ Title: Outpatient Psychotherapy Utilization and Associated Mental Health Diagnoses Among Privately Insured Patients in the Perinatal Period Authors: Brooke Lombardi, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW-A, Brianna Lombardi, Neil Kamdar, Erica Richman, and Sarah E. (Betsy) Bledsoe, PhD, MPhil, MSW Make sure to add this poster session to your conference schedule! 📅 #PSICON2024