When Will the Demand for Behavioral Health Services Stop Outpacing the Supply?

You’ve likely heard that the demand for mental health services has increased in recent years, leading to long waitlists, and in some cases, too heavy of workload for behavioral health providers. If you’re among the providers who have experienced an increase in caseloads, you may be wondering if available services will ever catch up with the demand. The latest research provides some answers, but the data still suggests that there is a need for more mental health providers in the workforce, both across the United States as a whole, and in the state of California.?

A Look at Nationwide Numbers

Across the country, the demand for behavioral health services remains high. According to a report from Trilliant Health, a research firm, during the second quarter of 2022, the demand for behavioral health services was up 18.1% compared to its pre-pandemic levels.?

The most recent report from Trilliant Health, which is based upon insurance claims data, also revealed the following statistics:

• Treatment for anxiety and depression was responsible for over 40% of the demand for behavioral health services in the first half of 2022.?
• Among claims for behavioral health services in the second quarter of 2022, 22.9% of visits with a provider were for the treatment of anxiety, an increase of 4.2 percentage points since the beginning of 2019.
• Between the first quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2022, visits for the treatment of eating disorders increased by 52.6%; visits for depression increased by 24.4%, and visits for substance use disorders increased by 27.4%.?
• There was a 47.9% increase in demand for anxiety treatment between the start of 2019 and the second quarter of 2022.?
• Schizophrenia is the only mental health condition under study for which there was a decline in treatment demand; between 2019 and 2022, demand for services declined 9.3%.?

While the data for the end of 2022 and into 2023 are not yet available, what is clear from the latest numbers is that the demand for behavioral health services continues to increase. With the exception of schizophrenia, there has been a general upward trend in the need for treatment of mental health disorders, and there is no indication that it has leveled off in the last year.?

Workforce Data

The increase in demand for mental health treatment tells part of the story, but the picture would be incomplete without taking a look at workforce data, which indicate that the demand for employees to fill positions in the behavioral health field is also on the rise.??

According to the latest reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most vocations involved in behavioral health treatment are expected to grow over the next 10 years. Consider the following data:

• Job openings for substance abuse and mental health counselors are expected to increase by 18%, which is much faster than average for all occupations. 71,500 job openings are expected through 2032.
• Job openings for psychologists are forecasted to increase by 6% through 2032, which represents faster than average growth.
• The BLS expects 53,800 openings for social workers through 2032; this is 7% growth in the field, which is also faster than average.
• There will be approximately 1,900 job openings for psychiatrists over the next 10 years, but since this is a relatively small field, this growth represents a 7% increase, which is faster than average.?
• The field of marriage and family therapy expects 10,600 job openings, which is 15% growth and much faster than average.?

The Story in California

The numbers from California show similar increases in the demand for behavioral health workers. According to a report from the California Association of Local Behavioral Health Boards and Commissions, there is a severe shortage of practicing specialists in the state of California, but this trend isn’t new.?

As of 2013, there were 45,580 practicing mental and behavioral health specialists in California; by 2025, that number is expected to decline slightly to 45,210. However, in 2013, the number of practicing workers fell 11,400 below demand. By 2025, the state will have a shortage of 15,400 workers, if current trends continue.?

In summary, it doesn’t seem that the demand for behavioral health services will decrease in the next few years, nor will there be enough workers to keep up with demand. As the need for services has increased, the discrepancy between supply and demand has also grown larger.?

Closing the Gap?

The demand for mental and behavioral health services probably isn’t going to decline in the near future, and the state of California will continue to experience a shortage of qualified professionals in the behavioral health workforce, without prompt action. Fortunately, in June 2023, Governor Newsome announced that the state awarded $14.4 million in grants to various organizations within the state, to allow them to train and hire peer support workers.?

Grant funding will increase the state’s behavioral health workforce by about 3,300 people, by training new peer support specialists, who will provide invaluable services, including advocacy, linkage to resources, and leadership for support groups. This grant funding is just a part of Governor Newsom’s plans to address the behavioral health crisis in the state.

Additional action will be needed to keep up with the demand for services, and the California Behavioral Health Directors Association has recommended the following strategies for meeting the growing need:

• Investing state funds to hire more higher education faculty to provide education to students seeking to enter the behavioral health field?
• Offering tuition assistance or stipends to students enrolled in programs that lead to a credential in the behavioral health field
• Prioritizing the recruitment of diverse staff at community mental health centers, in order to meet the needs of racially and ethnically diverse clients, as well as those in the LGBTQ+ population
• Providing better resources to state licensing boards so they can more quickly process applications for licensure
• Increasing reimbursements from state health insurance programs to allow for better wages for behavioral health workers?

As the need for behavioral health services remains high, there is certainly work to be done.?

Mission Harbor Behavioral Health offers treatment services in the Southern California region, with office locations in both Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Contact us today to learn more about our offerings or to make a referral.?

Sources: 1)https://www.trillianthealth.com/behavioral-health-trends-shaping-the-health-economy

2)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm

3)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm

4)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm#tab-1

5)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm#tab-6

6)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/marriage-and-family-therapists.htm

7)https://www.calbhbc.org/workforce.html

8)https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/06/16/california-awards-14-4-million-to-boost-the-states-behavioral-health-workforce/

9)https://www.calbhbc.org/uploads/5/8/5/3/58536227/cbhda_needs_assessment_final_report_2-23.pdf