Bill praised for potential to address behavioral health care shortages

Behavioral health providers urged lawmakers Tuesday to support a bill they said will improve mental health care quality.

Providers told the House Community Revitalization Committee that a bill to create a qualified mental health credential (HB 718) would increase mental health care workforce resulting in improved care for patients.

“House Bill 718…will support the community behavioral health system, enhance the behavioral health workforce, and strengthen consumer protections and create professional standards,” said Teresa Lampl, chief executive officer of the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers.

She also said the bill is a commonsense solution to meet the growing needs in mental health care.

Lampl added that although the bill does not expand the scope of mental health practitioners, it would standardize their requirements. She said that would allow providers to focus on building a workforce rather than training new hires that have previous experience.

Chair Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, asked how the bill would directly help patients. Lampl said elevating training would in turn elevate the quality of care a patient receives.

Appalachian Children Coalition Executive Director Randy Leite also spoke to Click’s query, saying the bill would especially benefit young behavioral health patients.

“[The bill] directly addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing our region and our state: the critical shortage of behavioral health professionals serving children, youth and families,” he said.

He also said the bill would expand health care in some of Ohio’s most rural areas.

“For Appalachian Ohio, where we are working to build a more coordinated and accessible system of care, this legislation provides a critical foundation for long-term success,” he said.

Joint sponsor Rep. Karen Brownlee, D-Cincinnati, asked how many licensed professionals are serving Appalachia and suggested there is a long history of stigma for accessing mental health care in the region.

Leite said that while he does not have an exact number, there were over 1,000 unfilled behavioral health positions in the region in previous years.

In terms of stigma, he said, it is a big issue in children, but his facility utilizes youth led prevention programs because kids are more likely to talk to their peers.

“Peer recovery support is one of the most effective and promising strategies we have for engaging individuals and families in care,” Leite said.“These are individuals with lived experience who bring credibility, trust and connection to the people they serve.”

Sam Shafer, chief executive officer of Integrated Services for Behavioral Health, also said the bill plays a critical role in increasing rural access to mental health care.

She said Ohio is facing a well-documented and growing demand for mental health and substance use disorder services, paired with significant workforce shortages.

“These challenges are particularly acute in rural and Appalachian communities, where geographic barriers, transportation challenges, and provider scarcity compound already unmet needs,” she said. “In our part of the state, we see firsthand how workforce limitations directly impact access to timely, high-quality care.”

Click asked Shafer about the current state of mental health in Ohio. She said the state should be proud that fewer people are dying because of mental health issues, but that there is still a great need for mental health services.

Ann Robson, chief program officer for Red Oak Behavioral Health in Akron, said the bill would help support the increased need for non-licensed mental health providers due to a surge in requests for mental health treatment.

“I think it adds a level of professionalism, a level of confidence, and it also lets the consumer know these folks have been trained in core areas of mental health by licensed qualified mental health providers that they have gone through the training,” she said.