Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska
UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Workforce Research: Tracking and Evaluating Behavioral Health Workforce Data and Trends

BHECN is the nation’s first state-supported behavioral health workforce center, and the only one that tracks and reports state-level behavioral health workforce data longitudinally.tibbits-melissa.png

By collecting and analyzing these data, BHECN identifies workforce gaps and designs targeted strategies and interventions to address them. Since beginning this work in 2010, BHECN’s data show that Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce has grown by 49%. Growth has been recorded in 54% of the state’s 93 counties, including in 40 rural counties.

Despite this progress, challenges remain. The demand for behavioral health services in Nebraska continues to outpace the growth of the workforce. To better connect its efforts with the state’s behavioral health needs, BHECN has in recent years placed greater emphasis on data evaluation to enhance its ongoing work of tracking state workforce data.

“Tracking and reporting on data is very important, and adding an increased emphasis on evaluation will help BHECN use the data and research findings to create and improve our programs and other offerings in ways that increase our impact on the state’s workforce,” said Melissa Tibbits, PhD, associate director for research and evaluation (upper right).

Dr. Tibbits and her team have recently released a series of data snapshots that offer a deeper dive into the state’s workforce data. The snapshots examine the workforce from a variety of angles, including:

  • The distribution of the workforce statewide;
  • How the workforce is distributed across the state’s six behavioral health regions; and
  • The composition of the workforce by behavioral health provider type.

“The new snapshots provide a more nuanced look at our workforce and how it’s composed,” Dr. Tibbits said. “Having this type of data helps provide a clearer picture of where our strengths are, as well as where we still have gaps to fill.”

The new snapshots are a powerful tool that can help BHECN and others craft targeted initiatives that better meet Nebraska’s workforce needs, said Marley Doyle, MD, director of BHECN.

For example, Dr. Doyle said, the snapshots can help BHECN and its partners gain a more detailed understanding of which provider types may have shortages, what specific parts of the state may need certain providers, and which provider types might face challenges in the future due to factors such as how many providers offer telehealth or specialty care. With this understanding, programs can be developed or adjusted to better meet specific needs, she said.

BHECN also is incorporating evaluation into all aspects of its operations, Dr. Doyle said, including its own programs.

Evaluation of projects supported by the BHECN ARPA Awards Program revealed that some projects are improving and expanding supervision for provisionally licensed behavioral health professionals, a key barrier for many entering the workforce.

A major reason supervision poses a barrier is that fully licensed providers receive little to no compensation for their time supervising students and provisionally licensed providers, said Jessie Buche, MPH, MA, director of the BHECN ARPA Awards Program (lower right).buche-jessica.png

“Lack of compensation has caused many licensed providers in Nebraska to forgo being supervisors because they need to take time away from their practices,” Buche said. “This historically made it difficult for students to find needed internships and created barriers for provisionally licensed providers seeking full licensure.”

Through the ARPA Awards Program—established in 2022 after the Nebraska Legislature charged BHECN with distributing pandemic recovery funds to address key behavioral health issues—19 organizations in Nebraska received funding to support supervision. The organizations have used the funds to compensate supervisors’ time, pay supervisees, and offset costs for testing materials and other licensure needs.

Evaluation of year-one data from the BHECN ARPA Awards Program showed organizations receiving support to bolster supervision increased the total number of supervisees from 97 to 174—representing a 110% increase.

A closer look at specific behavioral health professions showed that ARPA support allowed for a 194% increase in the number of mental health counseling supervisees, a 72% increase in social work supervisees, and a 50% increase in drug and alcohol supervisees among award recipients.

“This kind of evaluation could lead to more investment in key areas and also spark other changes that help connect people with successful careers in behavioral health,” Dr. Doyle said. “Given the importance of our mission, which is rooted in improving behavioral health in Nebraska, it is essential that we know how effective our work is and be able to make real-time adjustments to our programs based on the data.

“Evaluation is the key to making that happen.”