Seeds to Systems Colloquium Highlights Strategies to Cultivate Florida’s Behavioral Health Workforce

National and state leaders convened on April 24 for the “Seeds to Systems: Cultivating the Behavioral Health Workforce” colloquium to explore strategies for growing a sustainable behavioral health workforce.

Hosted by the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute (FMHI), this year’s event marked the institute’s 12th annual colloquium, which brings together experts each year to examine pressing behavioral health issues through both the colloquium and its annual report.

The program featured two keynote presentations focused on workforce development at both the national and state levels.

Laura Galbreath, MPP, director of behavioral health and workforce at the National Academy for State Health Policy, shared practical strategies to strengthen behavioral health systems and expand access to care. Her remarks highlighted national trends and policy considerations shaping the workforce.

“States are leading the charge on how we support the workforce,” said Galbreath. “We are seeing a lot of novel approaches such as microcredentialing, stackable strategies and partnering with community colleges.”

The second presentation led by Courtney Whitt, PhD, executive director at the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce (FCBHW), focused on Florida-specific strategies. Drawing on statewide data, she outlined key challenges and opportunities to grow, retain and innovate the state’s behavioral health workforce.

“Leveraging community college can be a huge opportunity,” said Whitt. “Florida’s 2+2 pathways (transfer programs from a state college to a state university) really streamline the approach for individuals with a clear interest in a behavioral health career. When they do transfer, they’re already checking boxes off the curriculum and preparing to graduate on time.”

Panelists represented key stages along the workforce pathway, offering perspectives on how to strengthen the field through education, training, and career development.

BeWellPBC Coordinator Alita Faber and Berlin Munoz, a psychology student at Florida Atlantic University, discussed the importance of early exposure and entry pathways. Lisandra Torres-Aponte, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Florida State University, and her FCBHW NextGen mentee, Isabel Oliveira, a psychology and behavioral healthcare student at the University of South Florida (USF), highlighted the role of undergraduate preparation and mentorship in advancing to graduate clinical training. TGH Behavioral Health Hospital CEO Doug Leonardo and USF psychiatry resident Sanjay Chakkoli, MD, focused on clinical training, advanced practice and innovation, underscoring the need for strong training environments and leadership.

Across sessions, speakers and panelists emphasized the importance of coordinated, cross-sector strategies to strengthen Florida’s behavioral health workforce and expand access to care statewide.

Watch the full event on Vimeo.