Currently, more than 122 million Americans live in mental health professional shortage areas. By 2037, the Health Resources and Services Administration projects shortages of nearly 200,000 mental health and addiction counselors.*
While nearly 40% of behavioral health leaders identify workforce issues—specifically staff retention and recruitment—as a top priority in 2026, the path to a solution isn't always clear. Additionally, overcoming these challenges and maintaining continuity of care is difficult when attempted alone. For many healthcare organizations, strategic partnership remains the most effective way to secure the behavioral health workforce and specialized resources needed for long-term success.
Discover five key benefits of partnership that can help your hospital overcome today’s staffing challenges.
- Gain access to national data and program optimization resources.
A qualified behavioral health partner provides a team of experts focused on the latest behavioral health trends, quality data and best practices. This specialization allows hospital leadership to focus on core acute services while enabling staff to provide tailored, evidence-based care. Additionally, equipping staff with the latest techniques and resources will help them be more successful in their roles, and ultimately more satisfied in their positions.
- Identify and recruit specialized behavioral health talent.
An experienced partner will have a team with both local and national reach, dedicated to recruiting top talent. This enables the hospital to effectively locate and hire talent that matches the culture of the hospital and the specific needs of the community.
Having a fully staffed behavioral health team also helps patients get to the right care setting, faster. This approach ultimately relieves overcrowding within the emergency department (ED), leading to better outcomes, higher levels of patient satisfaction and lower burnout of ED providers.
- Provide best-in-class employee training and continuing education.
Supplying the latest educational resources and professional development opportunities is key to both performance and retention. A partner with established programs for continuing education and employee development helps your hospital stand out as an employer of choice in the community. Investing in employees leads directly to better patient outcomes and improved satisfaction and retention rates.
- Live out its mission and values through a positive culture.
A hospital’s mission and values are the underlying DNA of the organization. Hospital team members who align with a strong mission are more likely to experience job satisfaction, resulting in higher productivity and long-term retention. An experienced provider will respect your hospital’s unique culture and actively partner with you to further that mission within the community.
- Establish a reputation of operational and clinical excellence.
A strong partner brings the operational and clinical excellence that helps a behavioral health program become known as a regional leader. These additional resources and best practices create greater efficiency, which leads to less staff burnout and more flexibility — both key drivers of employee satisfaction and retention. By aiding in professional growth and personal development, a partner helps your health system achieve its goal of being viewed as the premier employer in the region.
The benefit of partnership for behavioral health staffing success
Now more than ever, employee engagement and satisfaction – which ultimately lead to improved retention and outcomes – are critical to a hospital’s program performance and its ability to meet the needs of the community.
Through a joint venture or contract management partnership, hospitals can optimize their overall operations, leading to superior outcomes and improved employee satisfaction and retention.
Contact us to learn how Lifepoint Behavioral Health can help your hospital overcome current and future staffing challenges in your local community.
References:
*A Workforce Under Pressure: Preparing the Behavioral Health Workforce for Today and Tomorrow.” National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 2025.
*Rebuilding behavioral health for 2026: Becker’s-NextGen survey insights on workforce sustainability.” Becker’s Healthcare, 2026
*Community partnerships key to improving access to mental health care.” American Hospital Association, 2018.
