In largely rural states, such as the majority of the WICHE states, there have been historical difficulties in recruiting and retaining an effective behavioral health workforce. The WICHE mental health program continually works with stakeholders to research individual state needs and help find ways in which to secure resources ensuring a well-trained and stable workforce.

  • Technical Assistance

    The WICHE Mental Health Program has worked with the National Association of State Mental Helath Program Directors (NASMHPD) National Technical Assistance Center over the years on various workforce projects that focus on improving the behavioral health workforce of the rural West. These projects aim to encourage and promote the behavioral health workforce while building partnerships in rural mental health workforce development.

  • Annapolis Coalition

    The Annapolis Coalition is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the recruitment, retention, training, and performance of the prevention and treatment workforce in the mental health and addictions sectors of the behavioral health field.

  • Workforce Briefs

    The WICHE mental health staff is in the process of creating Workforce Briefs for each of the WICHE states that explain each state's workforce "condition" and future employement projections in the behavioral health field..