Comprehensive Action Plan to Transform Oregon's Behavioral Health Workforce

The Governor’s Behavioral Health Talent Council (the Council), chaired by First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson, released its final report outlining a comprehensive strategy to address Oregon’s behavioral health workforce crisis.

Submitted to Governor Tina Kotek and state agencies for review, the report includes 17 action plans with a total of 74 strategies aimed at expanding the workforce, streamlining licensing and credentialing, and improving recruitment and retention across the state. The recommendations were developed over eight months in partnership with frontline providers and are grounded in statewide data.

Oregon faces a behavioral health workforce crisis. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) surveyed 14 behavioral health profession types and found that nine have alarmingly high turnover risk, with more than two-thirds of workers intending to quit. When professionals leave, Oregonians in crisis go without care.

“In addition to the work of the experts on the Council, we conducted site visits, roundtables, and meetings with providers, students, culturally specific organizations, and tribal partners across Oregon,” First Lady Kotek Wilson said. “This report reflects what workers told us they need to stay in the field and continue serving their communities.”

Before Governor Kotek took office, research on the workforce crisis existed across multiple disciplines but lacked a unified analysis. The Governor directed HECC to consolidate that work through a Behavioral Health Talent Assessment, which informed the creation of the Council. The 22-member Council included direct service providers, educators, administrators, licensing authorities, frontline workers, and individuals with lived experience. It focused on the full workforce pipeline, from education and training to licensing, recruitment, and retention.

“I’m grateful to the Council members for their incredible work,” Governor Kotek said. “These action plans will help Oregon retain workers, attract new talent, and ensure more Oregonians can access care when they need it.”

The Council’s three subcommittees focused on recruitment and retention, licensing and credentialing, and education and training. Recommendations include expanding access to supervision, reducing administrative burden, improving workplace safety and compensation, streamlining credentialing processes, and strengthening education pathways - particularly for rural communities, culturally specific providers, and those serving Oregon Health Plan members. The report identifies immediate actions that can be taken administratively, mid-term strategies requiring coordination and resources, and long-term investments that may require legislative approval or new funding.

Governor Kotek will review the recommendations and determine how best to advance them through executive action, legislation, or agency directives. The Governor’s Office will issue annual public reports on implementation progress.

“Oregon's behavioral health workforce must reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, but right now, barriers prevent BIPOC and multilingual providers from entering and advancing in the field; As an Indigenous provider with lived experience, I know this well,” Eli Kinsley; LCSW, CADC III, CGAC II; Vice Chair of the Licensing and Credentialing Subcommittee and Director of Operations at Bridgeway Community Health; said. “The Council's recommendations address this - reducing unnecessary obstacles, creating alternative pathways to demonstrate competency for licensing, and ensuring our systems support rather than hinder diverse talent.”

“As a rural provider, I know how intensely the behavioral health workforce shortage impacts our communities,” Clarissa Carson; PMHNP-BC, MSN, APRN; Council member and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Rogue Community Health; said. “Losing even one provider in a rural area can have major effects on a community. The Council ensured rural voices were at the table from the beginning so that the recommendations reflect what we actually need: incentives for working in underserved areas, support for providers serving high-acuity populations, and strategies to grow local workforces so communities can care for their own.”

"As an educator, I know we need to prepare students for the realities of behavioral health work - and ensure the field is ready to support them when they arrive,” Dr. Alice Gates; MSW, PHD; Council member and Associate Professor at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and Director of the Rural Public Health Practice Initiative; said. “The Council's education and training action plans create clear pathways into behavioral health careers, align curriculum with what communities actually need, and build support systems so early-career professionals can sustain long, healthy careers. We must build the workforce of tomorrow."

"The Behavioral Health Talent Council was unlike any committee I've served on," Janie Gullickson; MPA, CRM II, PSS; Council member and Executive Director of The Peer Company; said. "We brought together higher education, government, community organizations, and frontline workers to address the workforce crisis with a truly comprehensive, equity-focused approach - developing solutions from high school career awareness through advanced training and workforce retention. This Council focused upstream and created aspirational yet achievable strategies that span the entire behavioral health workforce continuum."

###