Widespread provider shortages are posing problems for healthcare organizations nationwide, but poor training and sagging work ethic among some new clinicians may be compounding the issue.
Tara Chandler, co-owner of Appalachian Counseling and Psychological Services in Asheville, N.C., spoke with Becker's about headwinds in behavioral health that aren't being talked about.
Note: Response has been edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
Tara Chandler: The biggest challenge to growth at the moment is finding and hiring qualified applicants. We have seen the quality of applicants decrease. We have would-be employees standing up interviews, or being very unprepared when they do interview. We are also finding pay expectations not congruent with either the market or their experience and skill set.
Also, schools are really breeding an unreasonable expectation for new clinicians. I cannot enumerate how many clinicians have left our practice before getting their full license in order to pursue private practice, with the expectation of earning $200,000 a year and seeing 15 patients a week. I think we are setting up the next generation of providers with sub-par education, sub-par experience and an inflated sense of competency.