Building the Behavioral Health Workforce and Expanding Access to Recovery Care with Matthew Hurford
Becker’s Healthcare PodcastSummary
UPMC is actively addressing the growing demand for mental health services through strategic workforce development initiatives. Dr. Matthew Herford, president and CEO of Community Care Behavioral Health at UPMC, highlights the urgent need for mental health professionals, projecting a shortfall of up to 200,000 counselors by 2035. To combat this, UPMC is partnering with schools to create youth mental health clubs aimed at raising awareness and inspiring students to pursue careers in behavioral health. Recent workshops have shown promising engagement, with many students expressing interest in entering the field.
Additionally, UPMC's Telemedicine Bridge Clinic has expanded significantly, reporting over 23,000 encounters since its inception in 2020. This program connects individuals in crisis with immediate care, particularly benefiting rural populations and those transitioning from the criminal justice system. The clinic's success underscores the importance of timely intervention in preventing overdoses and addressing health disparities.
As part of National Recovery Month, UPMC emphasizes the importance of ongoing public training on substance use disorder recovery. Dr. Herford notes that these initiatives not only fulfill a community need but also improve treatment engagement and retention, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and reduced costs. UPMC remains committed to promoting behavioral health awareness and supporting recovery efforts year-round.
Show Notes
In this episode, Matthew Hurford, President and CEO of Community Care Behavioral Health at UPMC, discusses workforce development, the growth of UPMC’s Telemedicine Bridge Clinic to 23,000 encounters, and strategies to expand behavioral health access, treatment engagement and recovery.
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