As workforce dwindles, wait time for substance abuse treatment grows
Photo | Emily Micucci
Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins stands among bed at the emergency department at Milford Regional Medical Center
The average wait time for admission to a residential rehabilitation center for substance-abuse disorders is 34 days across Massachusetts, according to a new report from the Association for Behavioral Healthcare.
The delays are being caused in large part by staffing shortages and retention issues among clinicians, according to the report released Tuesday by ABH, a Framigham nonprofit that represents 82 community-based behavioral healthcare providers across Massachusetts.
For every 9.2 master’s-level clinicians or counselors hired, 10 are leaving their roles at behavioral health centers. Among opioid treatment programs, which are the only clinical setting where the harm-reduction drug methadone is prescribed, 80% of nursing staff have vacated roles in the last 12 months.
As a result, the number of beds available in treatment settings is on the decline. From February to May, 189 beds in safety net facilities for acute and crisis treatment were lost. While the statewide average time to wait for a bed is 34 days, some facilities report instances of waits up to 135 days.
“As Massachusetts continues to see unacceptably high rates of fatal overdose, we must do more to support and expand the workforce of behavioral healthcare providers who can make a difference in the lives of people with substance-use disorder,” Lydia Conley, ABH president and CEO, said in the press release. “We also have more work to do to hold both public and private insurance payers accountable to ensure that behavioral health treatment parity becomes a reality.”
Across the substance-use disorder treatment system, the report found a 24% job vacancy rate. Providers have left for higher paying positions.
The report offered recommendations to address some of the most pervasive issues in the substance-abuse treatment realm, including enforcement of state and federal parity requirements, increased pay and loan repayment assistance, and the expansion of harm-reduction services.
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