Universities are investing in the behavioral health workforce by expanding certificates and degree programs amid nationwide shortages.
The investment comes as workforce shortages worsened in 2025 from 2024, according to federal data.
As of Dec. 13, the number of designated mental health professional shortage areas rose from 6,418 to 6,807. The population covered by those designations also grew from about 122 million to 137 million. The estimated number of additional practitioners needed to remove the designations increased from roughly 6,200 to 6,800 over the same period.
Here are five new programs and certificates to know:
- The University of Pittsburgh School of Education established an online graduate certificate in infant mental health through its Pitt Online portfolio. The program targets the nationwide shortage of trained infant and early childhood mental health professionals and is designed for working professionals. The curriculum aligns with endorsement requirements from the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health and the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, which operates in 36 states and multiple countries.
- Buies Creek, N.C.-based Campbell University launched a doctor of behavioral health program through its Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine in 2025. The program focuses on integrated behavioral health and provider wellness and began reviewing applications in December for an online cohort of about six students for the fall 2026 cohort and 12 students for fall 2027.
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston established the UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences, welcoming its inaugural class pursuing a Master of Science in Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences in 2025. The center plans to add five additional programs in the fall 2026 semester and more than 35 degree and certificate programs over the next decade.
- Rootstown, Ohio-based Northeast Ohio Medical University launched a new Master of Science in Mental Health Practice degree. The program is designed to train certified mental health assistants — a profession developed by NEOMED — who work under physician supervision to prescribe medication and deliver care for a range of mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
- Mesa (Ariz.) Community College established a behavioral health certificate program and opened a simulation lab where students practice realistic patient care scenarios in rooms designed to resemble inpatient behavioral health settings. The college also introduced a Certification of Completion in Applied Behavioral Health, which it said is the first of its kind in the state.
At the Becker's Fall Behavioral Health Summit, taking place November 4–5 in Chicago, behavioral health leaders and executives will explore strategies for expanding access to care, integrating services, addressing workforce challenges and leveraging innovation to improve outcomes across the behavioral health continuum. Apply for complimentary registration now.
