The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center (UNC-BHWRC), housed in the Cecil G. Sheps Center, is a dynamic hub of innovative, data-driven research on the workforce responsible for providing mental health and substance use services. The consortium includes researchers from leading organizations, such as the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, the collaborative Family Health Association, the council on Social Work Education, and Faces & Voices of Recovery. UNC-BHWRC’s mission is to improve the behavioral health and well-being of the U.S by strengthening the current and future behavioral health workforce through research exploring the disparities that perpetuate inequities in behavioral health treatment, access, and quality.
With support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the UNC-BHWRC will produce research to inform policies that support the behavioral health workforce and increase access to quality behavioral health services. Exploring national data sources, UNC-BHWRC will evaluate workforce composition, demand, sufficiency, and allocation, to better understand evolving models of behavioral health service delivery.
In the first year of this effort UNC-BHWRC will undertake 10 projects that address national-level planning and policy-relevant research questions related to the behavioral health workforce. These studies are designed to inform the strategic aims of both HRSA—to target funding toward programs and training that improve access to, supply of, distribution, diversity, and quality of behavioral health workforce—and SAMHSA—to strengthen the behavioral health workforce to better meet the behavioral health needs of individuals, communities, and service providers. As a collaborative partner, AcademyHealth will support the dissemination of UNC-BHWRC projects pertinent to the health services research community:
Tele-Behavioral Health at Federally Qualified Health Centers—Differences by Provider Type
COVID-19 accelerated the use of tele-behavioral health at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), but it is unclear if all or only some behavioral health professions (e.g., psychiatrists) are delivering virtual care. Using the Uniform Data System (UDS) for HRSA-supported FQHCs, this study will examine the use of virtual care by behavioral health clinician type to understand who is providing tele-behavioral health services at FQHCs.
Who is the Harm Reduction Workforce?
Harm reduction, an evidence-based approach that mitigates the effects of substance use through prevention, treatment, and recovery, has recently been identified as an important facet of the U.S.’s efforts to address the opioid epidemic and substance use disorders; yet little is known about the behavioral health workforce working in harm-reduction settings. This study seeks to fill the knowledge gap on the harm reduction workforce through a mixed-methods study executed in partnership with the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
Are Behavioral Health Providers Located in Areas of Deprivation?
The distribution of behavioral health providers in high need, yet under-resourced areas is an important indicator of the behavioral health workforce’s ability to address the increasing behavioral health challenges of vulnerable communities. To examine the proportion of the behavioral health workforce co-located in high-need areas, this study will analyze the geographic location of three behavioral health professions across a standardized index of area disadvantage.
Assessing the Child Mental Health Physician Workforce in a Time of Crisis
Despite the mental health crisis youth face in the United States, little is known about how children differentially access mental health care from primary care providers and psychiatrists. Using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), this project examines demographic and diagnostic differences in treatments for child mental health among provider types (family medicine vs. pediatricians vs. psychiatrists) and insurance status (Medicaid vs. private vs. uninsured) to enhance our understandings of how child and provider characteristics impact service delivery.
Questions?
For inquiries or to discuss these projects, please contact BHWorkforce@unc.edu.
For more information, please visit the UNC-BHWRC website.