As behavioral health evolves amid staffing shortages, rising demand and growing complexity, clinicians must sharpen a new set of skills to meet the moment. From AI fluency to cross-disciplinary collaboration, here is what eight industry leaders say the workforce needs.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: As investment in the behavioral health workforce continues nationwide, what is one essential skill professionals should develop to drive successful outcomes in the field and why?
Blair Brown, PsyD. Executive Clinical Director of Clinical Quality and Research at LifeStance Health (Scottsdale, Ariz.): An essential skill for mental healthcare professionals is humility, the ability to accept and integrate feedback into clinical practice. As clinicians, we are the mechanism of change, and like any tool, we must regularly evaluate if we’re being effective.
Driving improved patient outcomes requires a commitment to measurement and a willingness to see feedback as a catalyst for growth, rather than criticism. When clinicians are open to feedback, they can adapt, grow and continuously improve their approach, which helps support a culture of learning and the delivery of consistently high-quality care.
Nikita Duke, DNP. Vice President of Operations for Behavioral Health at Fast Pace Health (Franklin, Tenn.): The one essential skill professionals in the behavioral health workforce should develop is communication. This is critical because it impacts interactions with providers, leadership, colleagues and patients. Internally within a team, you have to communicate your concerns, share ideas and be open to listening to others’ perspectives. As providers, clear communication is needed to explain medications, diagnoses, treatment expectations, potential risks, and the importance of compliance and follow-up.
Support staff must also be able to communicate effectively with patients to ensure their desires are clearly shared with the provider team, while reinforcing protocols, expectations and handling calls in a way that respects HIPAA, yet remains friendly and caring. Leadership within behavioral health must communicate changes, trends, updates and concerns, while also addressing difficult issues in a way that maintains respect and ensures understanding. Strong communication across all these levels is what ultimately drives trust, collaboration and successful outcomes in behavioral health.
Omar Fattal, MD. System Chief of Behavioral Health Services at NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City): One of the most important skills now is learning how to really work across disciplines. The definition of “provider” in behavioral health has changed; it’s not just psychiatrists anymore, but also psychiatric nurse practitioners and physician assistants. And beyond that, we have to recognize the important role of social workers, psychologists and other behavioral health professionals. Psychiatric care today is inseparable from addressing social determinants of health such as housing, employment, trauma, family systems, which makes the contributions of these disciplines essential.
In fact, in many situations, a social worker or psychologist may serve as the primary clinician, coordinating care and guiding the treatment plan with psychiatrists, NPs or PAs stepping in for diagnostic clarity or medication management.
What this means is that we all need to understand each other’s training, scope of practice and the unique strengths each discipline brings to patient care. These roles are not interchangeable, and systems have to be intentional and thoughtful about matching providers to patients in ways that make the best use of skills. When we get that right, we not only improve outcomes for patients, but also build a stronger, more sustainable workforce.
J.R. Greene. CEO of Psychiatric Medical Care (Brentwood, Tenn.): I believe one of the most essential skills behavioral health professionals should develop is outcome measurement, the ability to consistently track, interpret and act on data that shows whether evidence-based interventions are making a meaningful difference.
In today’s environment, it isn’t enough to simply provide care. We must demonstrate that interventions improve patient health, reduce readmissions and strengthen communities. Outcomes measurement allows clinicians to refine their approaches in real time, ensure accountability to patients and families and provides payers with the evidence they need to sustain and expand behavioral health services.
By building this skill, behavioral health professionals can not only improve the quality of individual patient care but also drive systemic improvements across the industry.
Christina Mayfield, MSN, RN. Director of Behavioral Health Services at Mary Greeley Medical Center (Ames, Iowa): One essential skill behavioral health professionals should develop is collaborative, community-based care coordination. The future of behavioral health lies in meeting people where they are — in their homes, workplaces, and communities — to provide timely, compassionate support before a crisis requires hospitalization.
By strengthening skills in teamwork, outreach and coordination with local partners such as EMS, law enforcement, schools and social services, providers can build trust, create seamless support systems and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. This approach not only improves patient outcomes but also reduces strain on inpatient resources and fosters a healthier, more connected community.
Leo Pozuelo, MD. Chair of Psychiatry and Psychology at Cleveland Clinic: Flexibility is one of the most essential qualities in today’s healthcare environment.
The ability to adapt to evolving patient care scenarios, embrace innovation and pursue professional fulfillment in a highly competitive landscape requires a flexible mindset. This mindset is cultivated through strong leadership, reinforced during annual performance reviews and exemplified by the talented individuals we recruit.
A culture of flexibility fosters personal growth, encourages curiosity and drives continuous improvement — ultimately contributing to a more resilient, engaged and sustainable workforce.
Nick Stavros. CEO of Community Medical Services (Scottsdale, Ariz.): I know people are sick of the buzzwords, but I’d say, hands down, AI fluency. Not coding — learning to frame the right questions, choose the right tools and weave AI into daily workflows responsibly. In behavioral health, that means faster documentation, smarter triage and risk flags, no-show prediction, streamlined authorizations and better measurement-based care — freeing clinicians to spend more time to add value where only humans can: interacting with patients.
We already don’t have the workforce to meet demand; AI lets every professional scale their impact. I was a skeptic, but my view has changed: the winning mindset is shifting from “How do I solve this?” to “How can AI help us solve this?” Humans using AI won’t replace empathy, but they will outperform those who don’t.
Becky Stoll. Senior Vice President of Crisis Services at Centerstone (Nashville, Tenn.): Working in the behavioral health field can be incredibly rewarding but also can take a toll on the emotional and physical well-being of the workforce. From where I sit, this is especially true after the implementation of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and increased development of the crisis services continuum across the US.
Recently there has been an increased focus and investment in the well-being of the behavioral health workforce, which is warranted and appreciated. However, to achieve positive outcomes for those being seen in behavioral health systems, it is imperative that individuals working in the field pay attention to building their own skills related to mental and physical well-being.
Whether working on the front lines, in supervisor roles or other supportive positions, the workforce is helping those in need who often have complex and intense needs. If the workforce successfully provides what a patient/client needs from our health systems, they must be at their personal best. That takes the purposefulness of the staff and support from the system. We are all human with life’s stresses, so the behavioral health workforce must take on the awareness of their mental and physical fitness every time they stand ready to aid those in need.
