Ohio lawmakers have proposed a bill that would create a mental health assistant license, Washington Examiner reported May 31.
The license and position would be similar to that of a physician assistant but centered around mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment training.
The bill is designed to help combat the state's mental health professional shortage. Currently, there is only one psychiatrist for every 10,000 citizens in Ohio, according to the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics.
Assistants would be required to have six years of education, including a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. They would also be allowed to prescribe medications under the supervision of a physician.
If passed, Ohio would be the first state to create this kind of position.