Legislative Recommendations to Address the Children's Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage
The Children’s Behavioral Health Plan Implementation Advisory Board recently adopted recommendations for the 2023 legislative session to address the critical shortage of the children’s behavioral health workforce in Connecticut. CHDI developed the recommendations in consultation with an advisory group of providers, family advocates, and other stakeholders.
They include these key short-term strategies:
- Adjusting reimbursement rates to reflect actual costs
- Removing unnecessary barriers to licensure and recruitment
- Funding high-impact short-term financial incentives
- Dedicating funding for longer-term strategies to increase and diversify the behavioral health workforce pipeline
Legislative action in these areas is critical to improving the availability of effective behavioral health services for children in the state. The recommendations emerged as part of a comprehensive initiative led by CHDI to develop a Children’s Behavioral Health Workforce Development Strategic Plan for the State of Connecticut, including short- and long-term strategies to strengthen the pipeline, recruitment, retention, and diversity of the children’s behavioral health workforce. We anticipate completing the full strategic plan in Fall 2023.
Learn more about our work to strengthen the children's behavioral health workforce.
