NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest provider of behavioral health services in New York City, reported a behavioral health staff turnover rate of 8%, down from nearly 18% in 2022 — compared to the national average of 31%. The system saw significant improvements in staffing retention and recruitment, bolstered by a suite of programs intended to expand and stabilize its behavioral health workforce, according to a Jan. 12 news release shared with Becker’s.
Here are six things to know:
- The system’s vacancy rates across all behavioral health disciplines dropped to 6%, compared to the national average of 14%.
- NYC Health + Hospitals has hired about 100 psychiatrists, nearly 20 psychiatric nurse practitioners and more than 400 social workers since January 2024.
- The Social Workers Needed Here campaign drew nearly 55,000 clicks and focused on recruiting social workers. The PSYCH DOCS 4 NYC campaign garnered more than 75,000 and focused on recruiting psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, according to the release.
- The system developed two programs that offer free training and internships for individuals with lived experience of behavioral health diagnoses. Nearly 70% of Peer Academy graduates are hired within 12 months, and half of Care Corps graduates gain employment within two months. Around 50% of the system’s peer counselors are Peer Academy alumni.
- The BH4NYC Loan Repayment Program has awarded more than $6 million to 200 clinicians, tied to a three-year service commitment. Those clinicians supported more than 110,000 patient visits annually. Another initiative provides staff with financial assistance to enroll in nursing school in exchange for a three-year commitment.
- Professional development programs, including training for psychiatric physicians assistants, nurse practitioners and social workers, were designed to improve clinical quality while supporting interval mobility and retention.
