Playbook | Bowen Center

Indiana's mental health workforce

The Challenge

Mental healthcare in Indiana is in crisis. The situation is dire, with all 92 counties facing federally designated mental health workforce shortages. The impact on Hoosier youth is particularly alarming – suicide has become the leading cause of death among adolescents ages 10-14, and over half of Indiana teens with depression receive no treatment. This crisis takes a staggering economic toll as well, with the annual societal cost of untreated mental illness in Indiana estimated at $4.2 billion.

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Bowen Center Recommendations

The Solutions

Secure the Pipeline

Enhance Indiana’s mental health workforce pipeline through strategic expansion of educational programs, addressing training deserts, and implementing incentives to attract and retain talent in the field.

Align Education, Policy, and Practice

Ensure better alignment between educational curricula, regulatory policies, and clinical practice needs to improve workforce readiness and ease the transition from education to professional practice.

Strengthen Clinical Training

Expand clinical training opportunities for students and recent graduates, improve the quality and availability of clinical supervision, and provide incentives for professionals engaged in clinical education.

School-Based Behavioral Health

Develop a comprehensive understanding of the school-based behavioral health workforce to inform policy decisions and improve mental health services for Indiana’s youth in educational settings.

Additional Considerations

Final thoughts on ways to improve Indiana’s mental health workforce.

Addressing the Hoosier Mental Health Crisis

The Road to the Playbook

The Playbook for Enhancing Indiana’s Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce was developed in response to the critical shortage of mental health professionals across all 92 counties in Indiana. This shortage has led to significant challenges in providing adequate mental health care, particularly for youth, with suicide being the leading cause of death among adolescents. The project, funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc., aimed to identify opportunities to strengthen Indiana’s pipeline from postsecondary education to clinical practice for selected mental and behavioral health professionals. The project team conducted extensive research on the regulatory environment, education landscape, and workforce perspectives to develop actionable recommendations.

Read more about the story behind the project here:

About

A Collaborative Effort

The Power of Partnership

The development of the Playbook involved a wide range of stakeholders and partners. These included academic leaders from various Indiana institutions, employers affiliated with the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers and the Indiana Hospital Association, licensed mental health professionals, and representatives from state agencies such as the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Additionally, input was gathered from trade associations, community organizations, and other experts in the field. This collaborative approach ensured that the recommendations in the Playbook reflect a broad range of perspectives and have widespread support within the mental health community in Indiana.

Check out the full list of advisors and stakeholders whose perspectives contributed to this report by clicking below.

Playbook Partners

Jump to the First Solution

Secure the Pipeline

Solution One