February 03, 2003
News Office:
Michael Mason (415) 502-6397
Demand for mental health care professionals in California will rise by as much as 30 percent in this decade, and there may not be enough workers to fill the need, according to a study released today by the California Workforce Initiative of the UCSF Center for the Health Professions.
The labor shortfall is just one of the many trends likely to strain the state's mental health care system in the coming years, say the study's authors. Their far-reaching report describes a fragmented professional population in which occupational roles often overlap, coordination of patient care is spotty or nonexistent, certain kinds of expertise are slipping away and structural change has been difficult.
"We really don't know who will be providing mental health care in the future -- we don't know enough about those providing care now," says Center Research Associate Tina McRee, MA, who led the study. "In terms of information for effective planning, whole segments of this workforce are virtually invisible."
The new study, funded by the California HealthCare Foundation and The California Endowment and entitled "The Mental Health Workforce: Who's Meeting California's Needs?" offers one of the first comprehensive profiles of the people delivering mental health services to state residents. Among the team's findings:
Because data regarding the size and composition of this important labor pool have been lacking, policy-makers have found it difficult to identify ways to enhance access to mental health services in California, according to the researchers. Among more specific measures, they suggest that mental health care in California could be improved by:
In addition to McRee, authors of the study include Catherine Dower, JD; Bram Briggance, MA; Jenny Vance; Dennis Keane, MPH; and Edward H. O'Neil, PhD, all of UCSF. The full report is available at the UCSF Center for the Health Professions Web site. The California HealthCare Foundation, based in Oakland, is an independent philanthropy committed to improving California's health care delivery and financing systems. Formed in 1996, its goal is to ensure that all Californians have access to affordable, quality health care.
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities. The Endowment provides grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being of the people of California.
This news release has been modified for the website