Mental health workforce needs in SC are not being met, according to a new study.
Noipornpan
TNS
A new national study shows that South Carolina’s mental health workforce needs are far from being met, making it difficult for those who require care to get it at an affordable price and not have to face long wait times.
It’s not just a struggle for SC, but also for much of the U.S.
Nearly half of the states meet 25% or less of their needed mental health workforce, meaning at least three-quarters of the required workforce capacity is missing, according to a new study from Inseparable, a national mental health advocacy organization. No state comes close to meeting its mental health workforce needs.
As a result, people in need of mental health care are feeling the impact.
“Across the country, people are reaching out for help and facing endless waitlists, exorbitant out-of-pocket costs, or no providers at all. This has life and death consequences — and it’s the result of policies and insurance practices that undervalue mental health care,” said Angela Kimball, Chief Advocacy Officer at Inseparable.
SC’s provider shortages are part of a growing national trend exposed in the report, but it fares worse in some parts of the report compared to other states.
Here are the key takeaways from the report:
SC statistics compared to other states
SC mental health workforce needs
Only 30.7% of the state’s mental health workforce needs are being met, meaning at least two-thirds of the required workforce capacity is missing.
More than a dozen states reported catastrophic shortages in state psychiatric hospitals, mental health crisis systems and community mental health providers, but thankfully, SC didn’t make that list. However, SC did report moderate shortages for each of those mental health sectors.
SC psychiatrists and therapists pay
Wages play a major part in this situation. It’s simple: If psychiatrists or therapists aren’t paid as well in SC, they will likely move out-of-state to an area that will pay substantially more.
Using Medicare rates as a benchmark, insurers pay SC psychiatrists and therapists the following:
Psychiatrists make $0.60 for every $1.00 that’s paid to medical and surgical clinicians.Therapists make $0.61 for every $1.00 that’s paid to physician assistants.
According to the study, Medicare rates often undervalue mental health services, so psychiatrists and therapists may be paid far less than indicated. SC is one of seven states in the nation to pay its mental health workers so low.
The nation’s average salary for psychiatrists is around $260,000, according to ZipRecruiter. While still well above the average worker’s salary, SC’s psychiatrists are only paid, on average, $240,000 a year.
For therapists, the national average salary is $68,000. In SC, a therapist’s average salary is $63,000.
Patient’s costs
When patients have to go outside of their insurance network to pay for their care, costs often become too expensive to afford.
South Carolinians had to go out of network 3.3 times more often for mental health care than for medical/surgical care.
Policy progress
The state’s public policy has done little in terms of incentivizing mental health workers to come work in SC.
There has been some progress in establishing a mental health workforce development center, but there has been little to no progress in expanding the workforce by increasing scholarship incentives, stipends or loan repayment programs.
According to Inseparable, requiring mental health care to be paid comparably to physical health care using an external benchmark would bolster the existing workforce, but SC has not made any progress in that regard.
SC has made some meaningful progress in strengthening the workforce by facilitating interstate practice through what are called licensure compacts. Policy has been made toward several interstate licensure compacts, including:
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)Counseling CompactSocial Work Licensure Compact