California is struggling to grow its behavioral health workforce despite major state investments, with rural regions facing some of the most severe shortages, according to an Aug. 6 KFF Health News report.
Here are five things to know:
- California lacked roughly one-third of the 8,100 psychiatrists and 117,000 licensed therapists it needed, according to 2022 state health data.
- Some counties fall well below state averages for behavioral health providers. In predominantly rural Shasta County, the suicide rate is more than double the state average, and overdose deaths tripled during the pandemic, county health data shows.
- The state has funded provider recruitment and training, expanded psychiatry residency slots, and broadened roles for nurse practitioners and certified peer counselors.
- California is using $1.9 billion in Medicaid funding for scholarships, loan repayment and new training programs, according to the California Health and Human Services Agency. The program expires in 2029.
- In 2025, 239 first-year residents entered psychiatry programs — less than half the number needed annually, according to the California Future Health Workforce Commission.
