A recent Seattle Times article drew attention to significant licensing delays affecting thousands of mental health professionals in Washington. As of early August, nearly 3,600 applicants were awaiting approval from the state Department of Health, with many unable to begin practice during a time of increasing demand for behavioral health services.
The story referenced findings from the Washington Health Workforce Sentinel Network, an initiative funded by the Washington State Legislature and conducted collaboratively by Washington’s Workforce Board and UW CHWS, which show that behavioral health employers continue to face “exceptionally long” hiring timelines and persistent difficulty recruiting qualified clinicians. More than half of surveyed sites reported serious challenges filling open positions—trends that predate but are now worsened by the current licensing backlog.
Read more here and check out the Health Workforce Sentinel Network.