Healthcare Financing and Sustainability

There is a mental health provider shortage in Arizona. One way to increase the number of providers in this space could be to provide tuition aid and tuition reimbursement for providers who choose to work in underserved areas and with vulnerable populations. In 2015, SB 1194 was signed into law (AACHC, n.d.). This increased the coverage for people who are eligible to apply to the Arizona State Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment to primary care providers who agree to work in underserved areas in Arizona. Mental health providers eligible include “psychiatrists, psychologists, physician assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, clinical social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists” (AZDHS, n.d.). However, this program is limited to workers who will choose to work in non-profit organizations or rural private organizations.  More mental health care is needed for teens in schools.

This year, HB 2072, “Mental Health Professionals Academy,” was introduced to the AZ legislature to establish a pilot program at Northern Arizona University to help students pay for their mental health profession education (Legiscan, 2020). This program would provide scholarships for student’s education in preparation for a mental health profession who commits to working in corrections or in public schools (Legiscan, 2020). Unlike the student loan reimbursement opportunities, this would provide up-front coverage for the cost of the participant’s education, saving students from accruing interest during their education. This bill was passed in the House and is presently pending the Senate Appropriations Committee.

We have to increase the number of mental health professionals if we are going to decrease youth suicide and sustain this long term. Although we have some great programs, there are still limited funds for these. There are also many other types of behavioral health professionals that are not included in these programs who play a significant role in mental healthcare such as behavior coaches, psychiatric technicians, and case managers. These are very difficult positions that require educated, skilled professionals to be competent and successful. Many mental health professionals have low salaries and therefore jump around between organizations to get higher paying positions. Non-profit mental health organizations are already stretching their dollars and would benefit from more funding to pay their employees better wages that would help them stay longer. I have often heard frustration from adolescent patients who lament about losing their case manager or therapist because they no longer work at their clinic. Patients would benefit from this because they would be able to make stronger therapeutic alliances with their mental health care providers.

                                                  References                                                

Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers (AACHC). (n.d.). Arizona student loan repayment program. Retrieved from https://www.aachc.org/arizona-student-loan-repayment-program/

Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS). (n.d.). Loan repayment program. Retrieved from https://www.azdhs.gov/prevention/health-systems-development/workforce-programs/loan-repayment/index.php#faqs

Legiscan. (2020). AZ HB2072, 2020, Fifty-fourth Legislature 2^nd Regular. Retrieved from https://legiscan.com/AZ/bill/HB2072/2020