FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – North Dakota is meeting only 23% of its mental health workforce need, according to a report from the national mental health advocacy organization, Inseparable. The shortage is leaving thousands of residents seeking care elsewhere due to a lack of providers.
Sanford waitlist tops 300 patients
More than 300 people are on Sanford Health’s psychology waitlist, with patients waiting months to get an appointment. Officials at Sanford said the delays come down to staffing.
Dr. Jon Ulven, a Behavioral Health Specialist at Sanford, said the Fargo-Moorhead area is served by roughly 20 psychiatry providers and 20 psychotherapy providers.
“We’re trying to think about ‘How do we meet the needs for the Fargo-Moorhead community?’” Ulven said.
Part of the problem, Ulven said, is a lack of applicants for open positions.
“I can recall there was a time we posted a position for a new psychologist and it remained open for two years without getting an applicant,” Ulven said.
Sanford, Essentia pursue long-term staffing strategies
To address the pipeline issue, Sanford has adopted what Ulven described as a “grow our own” approach, including a psychiatry residency program in partnership with the University of North Dakota medical school. The program currently has 26 residents.
At Essentia Health, Dr. Alexandra Kohlhase, a Clinical Psychologist, said the provider shortage is unlikely to be resolved.
“We have made several new hires just for this year as our department continues to grow. I would say there’s never a point in time where we’ll probably have enough providers to meet the needs of our patient population,” Kohlhase said.
Telehealth expands reach to rural patients
Kohlhase said telehealth has been critical to serving patients across the state, particularly in rural areas.
“We do serve a large, rural population. If we didn’t have telehealth, that would probably eliminate half of the patients that we see,” Kohlhase said.
“Whether people live outside the Fargo-Moorhead area or there are transportation barriers, telehealth has been a fantastic option.”
Essentia is also working to manage patient volume by transferring stabilized patients back to primary care for medication management, freeing up specialists for higher-need cases, Kohlhase said.
Ulven said the impact of the shortage extends beyond those with diagnosed conditions.
“It’s an important thing for folks to recognize is that even if you’re someone who’s listening to this and thinking, ‘I don’t have a behavioral health condition’ — What ends up happening when we don’t do a good job of managing behavioral health is, all health suffers,” Ulven said.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting, 988.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.