An Act establishing a behavioral health workforce center of excellence

This bill establishes a Behavioral Health Workforce Center of Excellence within a public university in Massachusetts to address shortages in mental health and addiction treatment staffing. The Center will collect data on current workforce gaps, analyze training needs, and study career pathways to help guide state policy decisions. It will also create an advisory committee made up of representatives from various health agencies, insurers, and professional organizations to review the state of the workforce regularly. Additionally, the Center will examine existing funding sources and loan forgiveness programs to recommend ways to improve recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals.