On July 1, ACA submitted comments in response to the Department of Health and Human Services’ request for information for input on policy recommendations to strengthen prevention, treatment and recovery services for substance use disorders and mental illness.
ACA’s response focused on three policy proposals addressing the behavioral health workforce shortage, as we recognize the limited supply of mental health counselors and other behavioral health professionals available to meet the needs of people living in rural and underserved communities.
The first proposal recommended expanding the existing Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Professionals to establish a post-graduate behavioral health residency program that supports provisionally licensed counselors and other behavioral health professionals as they complete their required clinical hours. The second proposal focused on expanding the behavioral health workforce by adding counseling students to the existing National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program as they are currently excluded from the program’s eligibility requirements. The third proposal aimed to expand workforce capacity by allowing professional counselor licensure boards, the Counseling Compact and relevant state board associations to apply for funding through the Licensure Portability Grant Program (LPGP).
Together, these proposals would have a significant impact on the counseling profession by strengthening the pathway to independent licensure, helping to ensure that trained behavioral health professionals successfully enter the workforce, reducing financial barriers for counseling students to support degree completion and expanding the reach of licensed counselors to practice across state lines. These changes would reduce disparities and increase access to mental health and substance use disorder services in rural and underserved communities.
ACA will continue to respond to federal and other policy opportunities that improve counselors’ ability to ensure that individuals seeking mental health and substance use disorder treatment can access affordable, timely and clinically appropriate care in their communities.
If you would like to become involved in ACA’s advocacy efforts, contact us at .