University of North Carolina Sheps Center
Geographic Disparities in Washington State's Mental Health Workforce
The Mental Health Transformation Project contracted with researchers at the University of North Carolina Sheps Center to conduct a survey of mental health services need and workforce availability in Washington state. Entitled Geographic Disparities in Washington State's Mental Health Workforce, the report profiles Washington State's need for mental health services, provides counts of the state's mental health professional workforce, locates workforce shortages, and assesses geographic disparities in these indices across the state. The report compares Washington to nearby states and other SAMHSA-funded Mental Health Transformation states as well as to the U.S. as a whole. Policy implications for mental health transformation in Washington State are highlighted.
Geographic Disparities in Washington State's Mental Health Workforce:
- Executive Summary
[
803KB]
- Full Report
[
1.7MB]
- Appendix
[
620KB]
- Combined Full Report (Executive Summary, Full Report, Appendix)
[
3.5MB]
Using DSHS's Integrated Database to Examine Criminal Justice – Mental Health Issues
Prepared under contract with the Mental Health Transformation Project, this report uses the DSHS integrated database to examine the patterns associated with increasing numbers of mentally ill persons in prison and jail populations. Washington State has responded in part with HB1290, which authorized expedited restoration of Medicaid benefits for incarcerated and hospitalized individuals, and a Prison Reentry initiative targeted at reducing currently high rates of recidivism. This report also presents preliminary findings about the impact of HB1290 and the community reentry of prisoners with mental illness.
