Crawford Lecture 2021

Radical Approach to the Mental Health Workforce

Our nation’s ongoing struggle to address the underlying mental health and substance use disorder crisis has not improved despite well-meaning, ongoing attempts. There are so many problems to solve at once: access, affordability, and financing. Overlaying this is a behavioral health workforce crisis. There are not enough behavioral health clinicians in practice now and in the pipeline. So, how can we meet the needs of those seeking help for mental health and substance use disorders?

This year’s Crawford Lecture challenged our assumptions about the workforce and is forcing us to think differently about who does what for whom, where, and at what cost. For our communities to do something truly impactful around mental health and substance use disorders, we must reconsider the role of community. There is science that can guide us, and leaders who can show us the way.

If we are serious about changing the trajectory of mental health and substance use disorders in this country, we must go deeper into community to look for solutions that can help as many people as possible.

Curated Resources

The School of Nursing & Health Professions invites you to continue this conversation within your communities and to invite us to join you. We want to build community and impact student’s learning and outcomes, along with you. Following are the curated resources by Claire Sharifi, Reference Librarian, Liaison to the School of Nursing and Health Professions & Department of Kinesiology, Gleeson Library and Geschke Learning Center, to continue your education on this topic.

Presentation References

Reginald D. Williams II et al., Do Americans Face Greater Mental Health and Economic Consequences from COVID-19? Comparing the U.S. with Other High-Income Countries (Commonwealth Fund, August 2020).
Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker
Conversations That Matter: The Deaths of Despair (w/ Dr. Benjamin F. Miller, Well Being Trust)
For more than 60 years, Project HOPE has transformed the health and well-being of people and communities around the world. We work on the front lines of the world’s health challenges, partnering hand-in-hand with communities, health care workers and public health systems to ensure sustainable change.
CDC: Stress and Coping Strategies
Roosa Tikkanen et al., Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use: Comparing U.S. Needs and Treatment Capacity with Those in Other High-Income Countries (Commonwealth Fund, May 2020).
Framework for Mental Health and Addiction Workforce (Revised from WHO) World Health Organization. (2009). Improving Health Systems and Services for Mental Health (978 92 4 159877 4). WHO Press.
Miller, B. F., Brown Levey, S., Payne-Murphy, J. C., & Kwan, B. (2014). Outlining the Scope of Behavioral Health Practice in Integrated Primary Care: Dispelling the Myth of the One-Trick Mental Health Pony Families, Systems & Health.
The Eugene S. Farley, Jr. Health Policy Center created the set of competencies for mental health clinicians working in primary care.
IT MATTTRs™ (Implementing Technology and Medication Assisted Treatment Team Training in Rural Colorado). IT MATTTRs™ grew out of the work from the High Plains Research Network (HPRN) and the Colorado Research Network (CaReNet), both of which are practice-based research networks within the State Network of Colorado Ambulatory Practices & Partners (SNOCAP).
Kohrt et al. 2018, Int J Environ Res Public Health
The Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development. Published: October 10, 2018.

Well Being Trust Related Resources

Wellbeing Trust Homepage: Well Being Trust is a national foundation dedicated to advancing the mental, social and spiritual health of the nation.
Healing the Nation: Advancing Mental Health and Addiction Policy: This framework from the Wellbeing Trust provides federal policymakers with actionable solutions for comprehensive, inclusive mental health and addiction policies.
Mental: Fighting the Fragmentation of Mental Health One Policy at a Time: A weekly newsletter calling out how timely topics are connected to mental health, and calling for actions to improve it.

Resources & Models of Care

Learn the Signs. Act Early, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A free parent-friendly milestone checklists and other resources for children 2 months to 5 years of age to support healthcare providers with early identification of mental health challenges.
Healthy Beginnings: Reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Resources on reducing childhood trauma from the state of California. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur before the age of 18 and are major risks for the leading causes of illness and death, as well as poor quality of life in the United States. Some of the worst health and social problems in our nation can arise as a negative effect of ACEs.
Nurse Family Partnership: Nurse Family Partnership is a home visiting program that partners nurses with low income first-time moms residing in Oakland, California, in order to give babies the best start in life. Case management services begin in pregnancy and continue until the child reaches two years old.
Family Connects International: Family Connects International® envisions a world where all children and their families have access to a continuum of community-based care to support their health and success. The Family Connects model is an evidence-based program that connects parents of newborns to the community resources they need through postpartum nurse home visits.
Mental Health First Aid: Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. The training helps you identify, understand and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses.

National/Federal Organizations

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): The lead federal agency for research on mental disorders.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: The federal agency that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): the lead federal agency supporting scientific research on drug use and its consequences.