Laura Semprini of Iowa City knows what it is like to call behavioral health providers in a desperate attempt to get an appointment during a time of need, just to be told, “Come in three months.”
This experience is not uncommon, with the average wait time for behavioral health services in the U.S. being 48 days, according to a November 2024 study by the Health Resources and Services Administration National Center for Health Workforce Analysis.
The same study said six in 10 psychiatrists do not accept new patients, making wait times a more significant barrier to accessing care…