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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Summary highlights the
key findings from the
Workforce Development,
Education and Training (WET)
Needs Assessment,
commissioned in 2024 by the
Alameda County
Behavioral Health
Department (ACBHD),
Health Equity Division,
WET Unit through work
conducted by Bright
Research Group (BRG).
The assessment was
conducted through a mixed-
methods approach, including
surveys, focus groups, and
interviews. The study
gathered insights from eighty-
five (85) survey respondents
and twenty-one (21) focus
group participants across the
county and ACBHD systems
of care, providing a snapshot of
system perspectives.
Results revealed a variety of
needs related to skills
development, pipeline,
diversity and equity, and
opportunities to expand the
overall workforce through
trainees, providers,
organizations, peers, and
family members.
GOALS: ACBHD launched this process to provide a system snapshot surrounding Alameda
County’s behavioral health system workforce needs, to better inform decision-making relative to
system planning; and in order to submit a final baseline report aligned the State of California’s Mental
Health Services Act (MHSA) requirements in preparation for a formal transition to Proposition 1:
Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA).
SNAPSHOT OF FINDINGS:
Workforce Capacity and Needs –
Hiring and Diversity: Recruiting racially diverse,
multilingual staff remains challenging, with a critical
shortage of bilingual clinicians. Burnout and
Workload: Staff face high workloads, exacerbating
burnout as they address complex client needs. Peer
and Family Support: There is strong support for
expanding the peer and family workforce to better
serve clients.
Pipeline Programs and Diversity –
Intern Diversity Gap: Current intern demographics do
not fully represent the cultural diversity of clients,
particularly African American and Latino communities.
Intern Program Feedback: Supervisor expressed
mixed satisfaction with the intern program, highlighting
the need for more resources and compensation for
supervisors.
Training and Education Needs Advanced
Skills Demand –
Providers expressed a strong need for culturally
responsive, advanced clinical skills training.
CONSIDERATIONS:
This assessment provides insights pertaining to
emerging needs and some challenges within ACBHD.
The findings underscore the need for continued
strategic initiatives to promote workforce diversity,
strengthen pipeline programs, and enhance trainings.
Even while considering the impending changes
impacting statewide funding for WET across
behavioral health departments in accordance with
Proposition 1, it is vital that the system continues its
efforts at a local level to address the needs of
beneficiaries, CBO and Stakeholder partners, and
employees across the system.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Advanced Skills Demand: More culturally
responsive, advanced clinical training.
Enhance Visibility and Accessibility: Increase
marketing efforts to promote WET training and
education opportunities.
Expand Advanced Skills Trainings: Increase
opportunities for more High-demand topics.
Diversity Initiatives in Intern Programs:
Engage with Minority-serving institutions and
incorporate stipends to improve intern diversity.
Continuous Feedback Loop: Gather and
incorporate training feedback regularly.
Support for Peer and Family Workforce:
Sustain professional development for certified
peer specialists and family advocates.
Alameda County Behavioral Health Department
Workforce, Education, & Training (WET) Needs Assessment
SUMMARY REPORT & OVERVIEW - 2024