San Diego County will hold virtual meetings beginning Tuesday with the goal of increasing the number of regional behavioral health workers.
Local organizations are invited to take part in the sessions to review contracting opportunities for programs that the county said “will help bolster the workforce.”
The eight sessions – online registration is required – continuing through Friday, will focus on the following jobs and programs:
- Nurse practitioners – support for students with educational and clinical experience in public behavioral health settings.
- Behavioral health apprenticeship network – help for people to become substance-use disorder counselors, case managers, community health workers and more.
- Peer support specialists – grants for training, placing and retention.
- Paid internships – for social work, counseling and therapy in public behavioral health settings to master’s level students.
A county workforce assessment completed in 2022 found that an additional 18,500 behavioral health workers will be needed to meet anticipated demand for mental health and substance use disorder treatment services in the region by 2027.
The Policy & Innovation Center, based in San Diego, will administer the county’s ELEVATE Behavioral Health Workforce Fund and host the first informational sessions.
According to the county, the workforce fund will support creation of the nurse practitioner training and other three programs. Qualifying students, professionals and those with mental health and substance use experience will be eligible.
The fund is anticipated to support about 2,800 people in their pursuit of behavioral health care positions over five years, officials said, adding that funding may be available by this fall.
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