New BHECN data offers clearer view of Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce

A new report from the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) shows that Nebraska has made steady progress in addressing behavioral health workforce shortages—including in rural areas—but that more work remains to bridge the gap between available services and residents’ needs.

The report, which can be viewed here, shows Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce grew by about 49% from 2010 to 2024, and the number of providers in rural parts of the state increased 24% during the same period. Provider numbers increased in 40 rural counties over this time span.

“The report is exciting in that it shows the work that BHECN and others around the state are doing is helping to grow Nebraska’s behavioral health workforce,” said Marley Doyle, MD, BHECN director. “But the data also show how challenges remain.”

From 2010 to 2024, the data shows:
*The psychiatric physician assistant workforce more than tripled; licensed independent mental health practitioners showed almost as big an increase, up by 225%; while psychiatric nurse practitioners more than doubled.
*There have been shifts in the composition of the workforce, particularly in the number of licensed mental health practitioners who advanced to become licensed independent mental health practitioners.

“This shift expands our behavioral health system’s clinical capacity and insurance coverage options,” Dr. Doyle said, noting that LMHPs continue to play a critical role in sustaining access—especially in rural communities.

In terms of challenges, the report shows:
*About one in four Nebraskans experience a behavioral health issue each year, yet many still struggle to receive care due to provider shortages and long wait times.
*Extensive training requirements for behavioral health professions—along with limited supervision and post-graduate training opportunities—slow workforce growth.
*Several regions still require residents to drive more than an hour to reach in-person behavioral health services, underscoring the persistent imbalance between where providers are located and where care is needed.

“While telebehavioral health has improved reach, it cannot fully replace the availability of local, in-person services or the full range of care required to address the spectrum of behavioral health needs,” Dr. Doyle said.

To address these challenges, BHECN recommends Nebraska:

*Expand behavioral health training capacity across all regions, with a focus on rural accessibility.
*Increase support for graduate-level and post-graduate supervision.
*Encourage coordinated statewide partnerships that align education, policy, and service delivery.
 
As established by the legislative statute that created BHECN in 2009, the organization is charged with compiling and reporting data on the state’s workforce.

New to this year’s report are data snapshots that examine the workforce from a variety of angles, including:

*Distribution of the workforce statewide.
*How the workforce is distributed across the state’s six behavioral health regions.
*Snapshots that explore the composition of the workforce by provider type.
 
“The new snapshots provide a more nuanced look at our workforce and how it’s composed,” said Melissa Tibbits, PhD, BHECN associate director for research and evaluation. “Having this type of data helps provide a clearer picture of where our strengths are, as well as where we still have gaps to fill.”

Dr. Doyle said, “We’re incredibly excited to share the updated data and new snapshots with Nebraska’s behavioral health community. These features are powerful tools that can help BHECN and other stakeholders craft more targeted interventions to address the state’s key workforce challenges.”