Rep. Tai to introduce resolution to study mental health provider shortage in Pennsylvania

State Rep. Helen Tai (D-Bucks) announced Monday that she is introducing a resolution that will direct the Joint State Government Commission to study the mental health provider shortage in Pennsylvania.

The resolution will require the commission to issue a report no later than one year after its adoption that explores factors contributing to the shortage, forecasts the number of providers in the future, and provides recommendations for stopping and reversing the shortage.

“Access to mental health services and providers are key to addressing so many of the problems Pennsylvanians struggle with each day, including substance abuse disorders, school safety and rising rates of suicide,” Tai said. “As the demand for mental health services has grown, there continues to be a shortage of mental health providers to meet their needs. We cannot ignore this worsening crisis, which is why I issued a co-sponsorship memo today to bring on as many of my fellow legislators as possible to join in support of this important resolution.”

Under the resolution, the report will also explore how telemedicine could extend the mental health workforce in rural counties and how Pennsylvania government entities could encourage more people to enter and remain in the mental health workforce. It would also provide recommendations regarding solving the disparity in the number of providers in rural counties compared to urban and suburban counties.

Pennsylvania has a statewide average of 179 mental health providers per 100,000 people and ranks 35 out of 50 states for mental health workforce availability. In 2017, an estimated 53.2 percent of the adult population with a mental illness did not receive treatment for it. A 2018 Pennsylvania School Safety Task Force report found that the availability of school-based mental health and support personnel in Pennsylvania does not meet the staffing levels recommended by national and statewide organizations.

“Because there aren’t enough of them, more and more providers are becoming overburdened with increased caseloads, leading to lower quality care for patients and decreased efficiency,” Tai said. “These are major reasons why we are seeing an increase in provider burnout and turnover, which only makes this crisis worse. Adoption of my resolution would be an important step toward stopping and reversing this cycle and increasing access to and the efficiency of mental health services for Pennsylvanians.”