A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine planning committee will organize and host a hybrid public workshop to explore the workforce needs and challenges in different settings across the continuum of behavioral health care and examine strategies to improve the infrastructure needed to increase the access and quality of mental health care services to advance health equity. The workshop may include presentations and discussions that include:

• Examine the current funding streams and other strategies available for recruitment, training and retaining community health workers and other paraprofessionals in different settings (e.g., primary care, schools, social service agencies).
• Explore strategies to maximize licensing to extend the paraprofessional workforce and discuss the opportunities and barriers to this approach, such as the role of state restrictions and reimbursement policies.
• Discuss ways to improve infrastructure and workforce development to support the implementation of effective interventions in settings outside of the clinic.
• Consider current community-based practices used throughout the care continuum and ways to prioritize interventions that reach more patients, and how best to determine cost-effectiveness.
• Discuss ways to promote the sustainable implementation of interventions in community-based organizations, with adaptions relevant to and effective in specific communities, and ways to de-implement ineffective interventions.
• Explore opportunities to foster collaborations and partnerships among policymakers, industry, care providers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to maximize resources and impact.
• Explore strategies that promote health equity by increasing access to high-value care for all individuals in need.

The planning committee will develop the agenda for the workshop sessions, select and invite speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. A designated rapporteur will prepare a proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop following institutional guidelines.