12/3/2008 7:44:09 PM
Texas state agencies identified training and workforce development as a significant barrier to providing adequate mental health services in Texas. Unless action is taken, they argue that Texas will be facing a shortage of all behavioral health providers - nurses, social workers, chemical dependency counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists - in the coming years. Furthermore, those individuals graduating from higher education programs are not adequately trained in the most current treatment protocols.
To address workforce shortage concerns, the TWG has charged the workgroup with developing goals, objectives, and action plans to:
Workgroup activities will focus on the lack of an adequately trained professional workforce-now and into the future. The workgroup will explore ways the state could 1) coordinate training opportunities across agencies, programs, and delivery methods, 2) work with university and community college programs to improve evidence-based training programs, cultural competence and recovery, and 3) expand workforce scope-of-practice by training primary care physicians, law enforcement, child welfare, educators and other professionals to screen, detect or address mental health problems.
The accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the Workforce Development Workgroup is critical to understanding the current system and moving toward one that supports recovery. In conjunction with their efforts, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at the University of Texas is currently developing a training system that addresses the development of the current workforce and is working with higher education to develop the workforce of the future. Without a trained workforce to implement system improvements, Texas efforts to transform mental health services will not succeed.