Behavioral Health Workforce Partnership Grants
Current behavioral health and other healthcare workforce shortages in the Commonwealth pose challenges to program integration and contribute to poor client outcomes on multiple levels. Difficulties include recruiting and retaining providers, such as behavioral health clinicians, peer supports, and licensed/certified staff. These challenges are especially evident in addiction care, where most treatment programs are physically, financially, culturally, and organizationally separate from the general healthcare system.
Recognizing these challenges, RIZE identified the importance of partnering with other funders to address workforce issues in addiction care. By pooling resources, we enhance solutions, share best practices, and align strategies, increasing financial sustainability across programs.
Behavioral Health Partnership Expansion Grant
In 2021, RIZE partnered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to contribute to a funding pool focusing on the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment workforce within a major statewide behavioral health workforce development initiative. RIZE actively designed priorities for this funding opportunity and participated in proposal review and evaluation.
The partnership included the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), and Commonwealth Corporation, with RIZE adding $250,000 to a $3.25 million grant program. This initiative arose from the EOHHS Behavioral Health Roadmap, which identified workforce shortages as significant barriers to behavioral health and SUD care access. Recommended strategies included building the behavioral health workforce pipeline, enhancing training and upskilling opportunities, and expanding workforce cultural competency.
The program funded qualified applicants in collaboration with community-based behavioral health employers to provide job training and placement for unemployed individuals from underrepresented groups in entry-to-mid-level positions. It also offered advancement opportunities for current employees, resulting in wage gains and promotions, and supported licensed clinicians in mentoring master’s-prepared staff. Additionally, it strengthened regional coordination to expand training capacity in behavioral health and enhance partnerships with workforce entities and community employers.
Commonwealth Corporation conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses, with RIZE collaborating to incorporate specific SUD/OUD metrics and provide technical assistance to the projects.
Training for Licensed Alcohol and Addiction Counselors
In 2022, RIZE expanded its workforce portfolio to include professional development for licensed alcohol and addiction counselors (LADCs), a role crucial for quality SUD care. Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) received funding from the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to expand apprenticeship opportunities for LADC II. Knowing RIZE’s commitment to bolstering the behavioral health workforce, AHP sought a funding partner, as costs for training were not included as part of this opportunity. RIZE partnered with AHP to fund the necessary educational components, enabling High Point, AHP’s training partner, to offer training free of charge.
High Point works to prevent and treat substance use and mental health disorders, helping individuals achieve personal change and improve quality of life. It offers services across the full continuum of care, including inpatient, outpatient, and residential programs, along with other community-based services. It also provides training for LADC II and recovery coaches.
This partnership aims to add 100 LADC II professionals to the statewide workforce, addressing high demand and lowering financial barriers for aspiring addiction treatment professionals. The program focused on selecting low-income apprentices from underrepresented backgrounds, offering paid on-the-job experience and competency-based wage increases, and creating meaningful opportunities for individuals to enter the clinical workforce in addiction treatment.