Strategic Plan

2025 – 2027 Strategic Plan

Build foundational infrastructure and collaborative relationships across the state to execute the legislative charge and vision of the Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce.

• Recruit and onboard key administrative and core research, education and policy personnel.
• Develop and launch a comprehensive website with multi-stakeholder utility, from students to policymakers.
• Build statewide collaborative relationships with academic, community and governmental partners to align workforce strategies.
• Establish student, educator and broader interagency advisory councils to guide needs-responsive priorities and recommendations.

Define and quantify Florida’s behavioral health workforce and assess its capacity to meet the needs of Floridians statewide.

• Develop a baseline model of Florida’s licensed behavioral health provider supply and demand.
• Expand supply and demand model to include Florida school-based and certified behavioral health paraprofessionals.
• Capture scope of practice, reach and retention intention of Florida’s licensed psychologists and mental health professionals through the implementation of a survey at license renewal.

Develop a program of Florida-grounded research to grow, retain and innovate Florida’s behavioral health workforce.

• Examine factors affecting licensure and retention of Florida’s behavioral health professionals through original research.
• Engage Florida stakeholders in the shared pursuit of empirical inquiry and evidence-based implementation through a competitive grant program and FCBHW-led academic-community partnerships.
• Collaborate with Behavioral Health Teaching Hospitals in the establishment of evidence-based best practices in integrated and innovative workforce development.

Align FCBHW education and workforce initiatives with broader Florida education and healthcare strategic imperatives, policies and programs to maximize collective impact.

• Expand and promote associate-to-bachelor’s (2+2) pathways and distance learning in Florida geographic mental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) and rural counties.
• Promote internships and certificate eligibility en route to or at the completion of associate and bachelor’s behavioral health degrees.
• Provide accessible, evidence-based continuing behavioral health education paralleling new or emerging state policies and priorities.
• Collaborate with like academic centers and State agencies at the intersection of behavioral health workforce growth, retention and innovation.

Reduce barriers to education, training and licensure along behavioral health provider pathways.

• Alleviate debt burden and financial barriers to degree obtainment through pilot scholarship, emergency and completion fund programs.
• Foster academic success and advancement toward clinical graduate degrees and licensure through mentorship programs and navigation support.
• Mitigate professional risks and delays or denials in licensure through needs-responsive educational campaigns and programming.