If you are a mental health worker in New York, the state wants to hear from you.
The New York State Office of Mental Health is trying to attract new mental health professionals by building a workforce website. To do so, it is asking current mental health providers to take a short survey.
The website, part of a $2.5 million multi-year initiative to promote mental health careers, will provide insight into various public mental health professions, programs and settings in New York’s system.
It plans to launch next year.
The site will also feature videos and stories from professionals in the field, along with a job search function that allows users to browse mental health job opportunities at all levels by county and profession. Users will also be able to connect with potential employers.
“Our continued efforts to strengthen New York’s mental health care system depend on having a robust, skilled workforce at the ready,” Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said in a statement. “The website we are developing with input from mental health professionals and service providers will offer an exciting presentation of careers in this field, along with a pathway for job seekers to connect with prospective employers in communities throughout our state.”
In 2022, most rural counties in New York were considered mental health professional shortage areas, according to the New York State Association for Rural Health. Nearly 3 million New Yorkers, or 18% the state’s population, have a mental health condition.
The Office of Mental Health is also offering a statewide repayment program that will award state grants to community agencies that offer money to help licensed providers pay off student loans. That program offers up to $120,000 to psychiatrists and $30,000 to other licensed mental health professionals to repay student loans and debt. To qualify, employees must remain employed by a licensed community mental health program for three years.
The application deadline for the repayment program is March 20.