Rebuild Illinois’ Mental Health Workforce – Increase Mental Health Funding as Workforce Crisis Deepens, Waitlists Surge
Human Toll of Illinois’ Mental Health Workforce Crisis:
Illinois’ Medicaid mental health workforce crisis deepens as treatment professionals leave at unprecedented rates for better paying jobs when the need is at an all-time high due to the pandemic. With more than 4,000 unfilled positions statewide, access to care is shrinking day by day with fewer people to deliver care.
Many Community Mental Health Centers are closing intake, positions go unfilled for a year or more, and services are pulled out of underserved communities because there is no one to provide care. Mercer projects staffing vacancies to more than double by 2026. The time is now to address this workforce crisis.
Click here for more information and to download the HB 4238 Fact Sheet.