Health Workforce

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline workers who have close relationships with the communities they serve, allowing them to better liaise and connect community members to health care systems. States may authorize Medicaid payment for certain CHW services under state plan or Section 1115 demonstration authority. States may allow or require managed care organizations (MCOs) to provide CHW services or include CHWs in care teams. Many states use CHW services to address the health needs of targeted populations including enrollees with chronic conditions or complex behavioral or physical health needs, enrollees receiving targeted case management services, or frequent users of health care services

This chart collection takes a deep dive into employment data to analyze how jobs and wages in the health sector shrank and recovered since the coronavirus pandemic struck in early 2020.

State Medicaid strategies to address the behavioral health workforce shortage fall into four key areas: increasing rates, reducing burden, extending the workforce, and incentivizing participation.