KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Right now, every county in East Tennessee has a shortage of mental health and behavioral health providers. A program from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is trying to build the workforce.
“We needed to do an even better job of cultivating a workforce, so we have people in our state ready and prepared to serve those seeking services,” said Matt Yancy, deputy commissioner with TDMHSAS.
The multi-million-dollar behavioral health scholarship program provides up to $30,000 over two years for students who pursue a master’s degree in a field related to behavioral health. In return, the student must commit to work for a community-based agency that contracts with TDMHSAS for at least the same amount of time they were on the scholarship…