Our research aims to improve understanding of the size, composition, and capacity of the behavioral health workforce. Valid and reliable data are important for informing workforce planning eff orts and improving delivery of mental health and substance use disorder services.  

Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center

Research to Produce a Workforce to Meet the Nation’s Behavioral Health Needs

Nearly one-fi fth of the adult US population is estimated to have a diagnosable mental illness. Mental and emotional well-being is essential to overall health, yet serious challenges exist in providing needed behavioral health care services to the population, and mental health disparities persist among minority and vulnerable populations.

The Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center (BHWRC) was established in September 2015 and is housed at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. The Center aims to strengthen the workforce responsible for prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders by conducting studies to inform workforce development and planning efforts. The Center works with a national consortium of partners that represent groups of professional and provider organizations engaged in mental health and substance use disorder prevention. The BHWRC Consortium guides the Center’s research eff orts, which focus on addressing workforce shortages, assessing behavioral health worker characteristics and practice settings; and analyzing legal and professional scopes of practice.