Despite the growing need for mental health services, Arizona faces a significant shortage of mental health professionals, only meeting 40% of its current workforce needs .
Ranking 47th in the nation in terms of access to care, residents struggle to get help.
To make matters worse, the demand for mental health services is only expected to grow, putting added pressure on an already stressed system.
Incidents of mental health issues are increasing. Rates of depression and anxiety, as well as drug overdoses and suicide, have risen over the last several years.
Suicide reached a 12-year high in 2022. About 20% of the adult population is dealing with a mental health condition, and 42% of teens report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
Arizona needs more behavioral health workers
Meanwhile, the vacancies in the behavioral health workforce continue to grow.
According to the Arizona Board of Regents, the state needs more than 2,400 behavioral health workers in the next six years. The U.S. Department of Labor projects Arizona will need approximately 4,700 social workers by 2030.