If you have tried booking a counseling appointment recently, you may have found that there are longer waitlists than there used to be.
This is due to our mental health system being overwhelmed with high levels of need, and the workers running the system are getting burnt out.
As a graduate student and future social worker, I have the opportunity to witness this crisis firsthand.
As a current case manager working in family preservation, I have seen the struggles of burnout and feelings of failure when the caseload and workload are so high that it feels impossible to give all your families your all when helping and supporting them through difficult situations.
Therapists, social workers, and case managers are often working overtime to meet this skyrocketing need. With higher-than-manageable caseloads and administrative burdens, many are getting burned out and leaving the field altogether. The result? Even fewer mental health professionals are available to meet the higher demands of people in need, resulting in longer waitlist times.
Mental health issues are on the rise, especially among young adults. Anxiety, depression and burnout are common topics on a college campus, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
While awareness and sensitivity toward mental health issues appears to be on the rise, access to overall care is decreasing and creating further gaps.
The U.S. is facing a tremendous shortage of mental health professionals, and rural areas often get hit the hardest.
Why is this happening? To start, the cost of graduate programs to become a mental health professional can be tens of thousands of dollars, with starting salaries often not matching the educational and emotional requirements of being a quality worker.
Fort Hays State University's Master of Social Work program charges roughly $22,000 for online in-state tuition.
The average starting salary for a master's-level mental health professional in Kansas is $45,000, with many individuals also carrying student debt. Burnout is another considerable factor.
What can we do?
1. Support mental health education: Our universities and employers should expand scholarships and loan forgiveness programs for students/employees entering the mental health field.
2. Pay providers fairly: An overall advocacy for healthier wages and benefits (including paid time off) can assist with retention of skilled professionals and attract hard-working individuals.
3. Care for the caregivers: Mental health professionals need to balance their own mental health and needs, too. Ensuring they have access to support systems and resources is crucial for their mental health maintenance.
As students entering the mental health profession or utilizing the mental health field, we can raise our voices and advocate for change. We can support our peers who are choosing to enter this field and make a positive impact on numerous lives.
We can also remind policymakers that mental health care is a necessity and should be a basic human right.
To ensure a healthier future, we must invest in the people who help us get there.
— Jozlyn Karnosky,
Master of Social Work student at Fort Hays State University