The University of Notre Dame is part of a statewide effort to grow Indiana’s mental health workforce.
The university will partner with WISE Indiana, on behalf of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction. They will work to enhance the recruitment, retention and quality of Indiana’s behavioral health workforce. The effort will also identify data-driven strategies for mental health workforce development.
One out of every two Americans lives in a mental health workforce shortage area, according to the U.S. Bureau of Health Workforce. The lack of providers means behavioral health, mental health and substance use-related needs go untreated in many communities. To meet Americans’ needs by 2036 would mean training nearly 100,000 new psychologists and thousands of social workers, therapists and other providers.
“With a problem this large, it's important to explore a wide range of potential solutions,” Gina Navoa Svarovsky said in a press release. Svarovsky is the faculty director of the Center for Broader Impacts and an associate professor in the Center for STEM Education. She will lead the university’s efforts.
Svarovsky will oversee the convening of representatives from the state’s 18 Recruitment and Retention Innovation grant awardees. They will form a Community of Practice that can foster idea sharing, networking and professional learning.
Initiatives within the Community of Practice will include:
- Hosting career exploration and training for high school students
- Implementing training opportunities and career pathways for community health workers and addiction peer recovery coaches
- Piloting or expanding intern-to-employee career programs
- Providing support for existing providers to reduce burnout
Campus partners that will contribute to the statewide Community of Practice will include the Center for Broader Impacts, the Community Health and Clinical Partnerships team, the Department of Psychology, the Notre Dame Research Communications Team and the William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families.
