In 2008, the Heldrich Center convened over 30 stakeholders from New Jersey’s behavioral health community for a roundtable discussion on the key workforce development challenges facing the field. The event, conducted in partnership with the Mental Health Association of New Jersey and the Annapolis Coalition, looked to facilitate dialogue with participants to identify key workforce issues, recommend viable solutions to workforce challenges, and develop a list of action priorities for New Jersey’s behavioral health care system. The proceedings document from the event identified five action priorities that could be undertaken by community-based providers, state agencies, and institutions of higher education to improve the supply of and demand for highly skilled, quality professionals working in the behavioral health care field in New Jersey.

(Funded by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development’s private endowment.)