Payer-Provider Partnership to Identify Successful Retention Strategies for the Behavioral Health Workforce.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Health Workforce Development
• Organizational Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• High staff turnover negatively impacts behavioral health providers, affecting morale, care quality, clinical outcomes, and costs.
• The Staff Assessment and Retention (STAR) Project is a collaborative initiative between a managed care organization and community providers.
• The STAR Project aims to share research-based retention strategies, identify feasible approaches, and foster a learning community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify successful and feasible strategies for increasing staff retention in behavioral health organizations.
• To explore barriers and current retention rates within community-based behavioral health providers.
• To develop a collaborative learning community focused on evidence-based retention practices.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 87 community-based behavioral health providers to gather data on retention strategies, barriers, and rates.
• Results were disseminated and discussed through a learning community, including a webinar co-facilitated by participating providers.
• The study involved a partnership between a behavioral health managed care organization and community-based providers.

Main Results:

• Underutilized strategies such as exit/stay interviews, best practice training, technology access, and flexible work schedules were identified as effective.
• Key factors for retention reported by providers included employment type (full/part-time, benefits, wages), training opportunities, and incorporating staff feedback.
• Providers expressed a strong need for platforms to share ideas and solve workforce issues.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative payer-provider partnerships are essential for implementing effective retention strategies across the behavioral health sector.
• Community-based providers recognize the value of underutilized retention strategies but require collaborative support for adoption.
• The STAR Project highlighted the demand for shared learning and problem-solving in addressing behavioral health workforce challenges.