MHAC Launches Interactive Career Pathways Tools to Address BH Workforce Challenges

The Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition (MHAC) recently announced the launch of two groundbreaking resources designed to strengthen Ohio's behavioral health workforce: an interactive career pathways tool called BHEACON and a comprehensive Regional Behavioral Health Workforce Coalition (RBHWC) toolkit.

MHAC received a $98,625 grant from the OhioMHAS as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen and grow Ohio’s behavioral health workforce. The funding will support the development and implementation of the Behavioral Health Education and Career Opportunities Navigator (BHEACON) and the RBHWC toolkit, addressing critical workforce shortages in Ohio's behavioral health sector.

BHEACON, the interactive career pathways tool, will serve as a centralized resource for individuals exploring careers in behavioral health, offering detailed guidance on career trajectories, educational requirements, and licensing pathways.

The RBHWC toolkit titled, “Collaborating for Change: A Toolkit to Build Regional Behavioral Health Workforce Coalitions,” will empower regions across Ohio to establish and maintain effective workforce coalitions, providing structured guidance, best practices, and practical resources for building sustainable cross-sector partnerships that address local behavioral health workforce challenges.

BHEACON and the RBHWC toolkit are accessible through the RBHWC website and the MHAC website.