The privatization of the mental health workforce will have the most significant effect on marginalized communities, according to a recent report from Cornell University.
The report, called "Diminishing New York State's Public Mental Healthcare Sector," analyzed data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples from 1990 to 2021.
The data found that the privatization of the mental health workforce in New York resulted in a decrease in the state's workforce in the public sector, which disproportionately affected women, workers of color and union members.
The report also found that all growth in mental-health related industries was in the private sector, with the number of jobs in these industries increasing seven times faster than job growth across the state's economy. However, the number of state-government owned mental health facility jobs has fallen from 1990 to 2021.