Behavioral healthcare is having a supply crisis. As of 2023, more than half of the U.S. population resides in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area. The scarcity of qualified professionals severely undermines patients’ ability to receive treatment when needed because of longer wait times and reduced access to care, potentially worsening mental health outcomes. Rural areas are more likely to lack psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, psychologists, social workers, and counselors, intensifying the problems with access to behavioral health services.

For healthcare organizations, the healthcare staffing shortage has led to increased workloads, provider burnout, and challenges in meeting the demand for mental health services. With the need for behavioral healthcare rising, addressing the workforce shortage has become an urgent priority for healthcare systems nationwide.

The widening gap

While the healthcare workforce shortage has been a longstanding issue, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbated the problem, resulting in an ever-widening gap between the supply of providers and the growing demand for mental health services.

From 2019 to 2023, the number of Americans living in areas designated as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas skyrocketed from about 118 million to 169 million. During the same time, mental health claims rose 83%. And a 2023 survey of psychologists revealed some concerning trends: 

• 56% did not have openings for new patients
• 26% had an increase in workload over the previous year
• 68% had seen an increase in the number of patients with anxiety disorders 
• 44% had seen an increase in demand for treatment for depression

Understanding the impacts

The scarcity of services and increasing demand negatively impact both providers and patients. For healthcare organizations, increased workloads are straining an already stretched workforce, leading to increased burnout and attrition among behavioral health providers. This situation further exacerbates the dilemma in meeting growing demand. The shortage has placed additional pressure on primary care providers, who increasingly find themselves on the front lines of mental healthcare delivery despite often lacking specialized training in this area. An increased reliance on emergency departments and law enforcement for mental health crises places additional strain on these systems and often results in suboptimal care for individuals in need of specialized mental health support.

For patients, the provider shortage means reduced access to care and longer wait times, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Many healthcare providers have had to extend wait times for behavioral health services, with the average wait for a new patient reaching three months or more in 2023. The inability to receive timely and appropriate mental healthcare may lead to the escalation of mild symptoms into more severe mental illnesses, potentially resulting in poorer outcomes. 

Bridging the gap

With the prolonged shortage only expected to get worse – the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) estimates that by 2036, there will be significant shortfalls across various behavioral health professions – healthcare organizations must take an empowerment approach to healthcare staffing. This means that the most effective way for provider organizations to bridge the gap now and into the future is to support behavioral health professionals through a staffing initiative that empowers them to deliver patient-centric care and prevents burnout. This technology-driven approach should allow for open communication and inclusive decision-making by incorporating the following three elements:

1. Transparency‍

Healthcare staffing is notorious for its complexity, but it doesn't need to be. A modern, mobile-friendly staff scheduling tool can centralize all workforce management data, providing real-time visibility into staff schedules across the organization. This streamlined approach ensures everyone is on the same page and reduces open shifts, miscommunication, and scheduling conflicts. With an advanced analytics solution that offers data insights into staffing patterns, utilization rates, and patient-to-staff ratios, management can make informed decisions to optimize labor resources, ensuring that patient care is not compromised and staff is not overburdened. 

2. Flexibility

The freedom to choose preferred shifts leads to higher job satisfaction and engagement, which can greatly reduce burnout among healthcare staff. For healthcare organizations, flexible scheduling is a powerful staff retention tool that can also lead to cost savings, improved patient care, and increased productivity. Cloud-based workforce solutions enable management and staff to enjoy mobile app access, manage shifts collaboratively, communicate instantly about open shifts, and further streamline scheduling with predictive analytics. 

1. Accountability

A sense of ownership is core to effective healthcare staffing because it fosters trust among staff members and management and helps build stronger teams. Healthcare scheduling technology enhances oversight by allowing managers to monitor overtime, track credentials, and ensure that staff meet work commitments. For example, an advanced workforce analytics solution can provide a comprehensive dashboard of shifts and hours worked, making it easy to hold staff accountable for their attendance and punctuality and determine the right level and mix of staff while minimizing overtime.  

Healthcare scheduling tools are vital for achieving appropriate staffing of behavioral health providers, especially in the face of worker shortages and increasing demand. By providing transparency, flexibility, and accountability, these tools help healthcare organizations optimize staffing, fill open shifts, reduce burnout, and improve retention. This empowerment approach will ultimately lead to happy staff and happy patients – a feasible goal for every organization.   

Inovalon helps providers achieve equity in staff scheduling to strengthen engagement, retention, and satisfaction. The Inovalon ONE® Platform powers SaaS solutions that prevent burnout and turnover, providing financial benefit, and improving the patient experience.

For more information on solutions that can help your organization meet its staffing challenges more effectively, contact us today or visit our website.

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