Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce Releases 2025 Annual Report

The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW) has released its 2025 Annual Report, detailing work completed throughout calendar year 2025 to advance statewide behavioral health workforce infrastructure and strategic impact. The report highlights Florida’s behavioral health workforce current and projected supply and demand, initial research findings, and the center’s early progress toward building a coordinated, data-driven approach to strengthening Florida’s behavioral health workforce. It also includes recommendations for policymakers, educators and academic institutions, and provider organizations.

Established by the Florida Legislature, FCBHW serves as the state’s authoritative source for behavioral health workforce data, analysis and strategic planning.

The 2025 Annual Report documents key research findings, including:

• Florida’s behavioral health workforce capacity is insufficient to meet current and projected population needs, with a population-to-provider ratio of 555:1 and an estimated gap of nearly 14,000 providers statewide in 2025.
• Workforce gaps vary by provider type and are most pronounced among psychiatrists, whose supply is projected to continue declining. Of the six licensed behavioral health provider types examined, only psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners are projected to meet demand by 2035.
• Licensed behavioral health providers are experiencing high levels of burnout, threatening workforce stability. Retention efforts that focus on system-level solutions may be most effective in sustaining and strengthening Florida’s behavioral health workforce.

The report highlights strategies for expanding and promoting educational pathways, including distance learning, in Florida’s mental health professional shortage areas and rural counties as priorities, as well as programming for reducing barriers to education and training.

“We are proud to place actionable information in the hands of those invested in joining, strengthening and advocating for Florida’s behavioral health workforce,” said FCBHW Executive Director Courtney Whitt, PhD. “While the work is just beginning, the center is honored to lead the charge in service of the state. However, the true strength and lasting impact of this effort will be driven by the leadership and collaboration of stakeholders, systems and communities across Florida.”

Read the full report on the FCBHW website.

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About the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce

The Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW) was established by the Florida Legislature in July 2024 to strengthen the state’s behavioral health workforce and ensure all Floridians have access to timely, high-quality care. Housed within the University of South Florida’s College of Behavioral and Community Sciences and the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, the FCBHW advances data-driven solutions through research, education, policy and collaboration. FCBHW serves the entire state through its mission to grow, retain and innovate Florida’s behavioral health workforce.