85% of counties in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas have been federally identified as Mental Health Professions Shortage Areas. Rural areas particularly face shortages of psychiatrists, APRN’s, counselors, certified/licensed addiction counselors, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurses and unlicensed direct care workers.
Training and technical assistance are available to academic institutions, provider organizations, and schools to attract, recruit, place, train, and retain behavioral health providers.