Strengthening the Opioid Response: A Call to Action for Formalization of Behavioral Health Paraprofessionals

The Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research at Indiana University School of Medicine will develop a national framework for building and sustaining the behavioral health and substance use paraprofessional workforce. As part of the project, the center will conduct a 50-state survey to document variation in the regulation, education, practice, and reimbursement of paraprofessionals. It will use the results of the survey, key informant interviews, and a labor market analysis to develop a framework that offers recommendations for standardizing training, credentialing, and reimbursement models across states.