There’s a well-documented shortage of mental health professionals in Florida, and the state wants to do something about it. With $5 million in recurring state funds, the University of South Florida has been chosen to be the home of the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce. Its purpose is to enhance recruitment and retention efforts for behavioral health professions.
“We are facing a crisis with increasing shortages of behavioral health care professionals such as mental health counselors and social workers,” says Julie Serovich, dean of USF’s College of Behavioral and Community Sciences.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than half of Americans live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals, and the situation is worse in Florida. The agency attributes the shortage to factors such as lack of uniformity across mental health-related professions, reimbursement challenges and provider burnout.
The Live Healthy legislation package that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in March also creates a new category of hospitals that are dedicated to advancing behavioral health care. All four of them are teaching hospitals linked to universities. They include Tampa General Hospital and USF; UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and UF Health Jacksonville, both of which are linked to the University of Florida; and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and the University of Miami. The state Legislature earmarked $100 million a year over the next three years to the teaching hospitals, with additional funds to be provided for residency positions for psychiatrists.