The coronavirus pandemic, widely known as COVID-19, has left no corner of the globe untouched. From suspended sports seasons and canceled events to shuttered businesses and disrupted travel, the outbreak has impacted nearly every aspect of daily life. In the United States, the crisis has not only strained the health care system but also created new challenges for the behavioral health industry. While experts anticipate a surge in demand for mental health and substance use services during and after the pandemic, this increase may further expose an already fragile workforce.
The Workforce Crisis Before COVID-19
Even before the coronavirus became a household concern, the behavioral health sector faced serious challenges in meeting patient needs. Workforce shortages in psychiatry, psychology, counseling, and social work were already limiting access to care. Many communities struggled with long wait times, limited provider availability, and an uneven distribution of behavioral health professionals across rural and urban areas.
Matt Sabbatino, managing director of health care services at L.E.K. Consulting, explained the situation bluntly: “We were already in a behavioral health care delivery crisis in this country prior to COVID-19.” With the pandemic creating new layers of stress, uncertainty, and isolation, the demand for services is expected to rise dramatically, leaving providers with few resources to keep up.
Stress and Anxiety Fueling the Demand
The outbreak of COVID-19 introduced unique stressors that have strained the mental health of millions. Unemployment, financial insecurity, fear of infection, and social distancing have amplified anxiety and depression rates. Families have struggled with disrupted routines, children learning from home, and limited access to supportive resources.
The World Health Organization quickly acknowledged these challenges by releasing mental health guidelines for health care workers, caregivers, and individuals affected by the pandemic. Domestic organizations and behavioral health providers also rushed to provide educational resources to help people maintain wellness during a time of extreme uncertainty.
Despite these efforts, Sabbatino and others believe the demand will continue to outpace the available workforce. Increased patient anxiety, coupled with limited clinical availability, creates a mismatch that threatens to overwhelm behavioral health systems.
The Dual Challenge of Demand and Supply
The pandemic not only boosts demand but also reduces the available supply of clinicians. Health care providers themselves are at risk of infection, which may force them into quarantine or sideline them from practice altogether. Others may be redirected to critical care services, reducing their ability to serve patients in need of behavioral health support.
“Already folks are on edge, anxious, nervous, scared, whatever term you want to use, and it’s gonna be that way for a while,” Sabbatino noted. “Then, the supply side is only going to get worse because doctors and counselors could get sick or they might have to be doing other things, given growing critical care needs.”
This dual crisis magnifies existing concerns and highlights the urgency of creative solutions to bridge the gap between patient needs and provider availability.
Telehealth as a Promising Solution
While there is no quick fix to a decades-long shortage of behavioral health professionals, telehealth offers a promising path forward. Virtual platforms can connect patients with providers through video calls, phone sessions, and even text-based support, improving efficiency and minimizing risks of virus transmission.
Startups like Ginger, a behavioral health company providing coaching, therapy, and psychiatry services via digital platforms, have already seen demand rise. In just a few weeks during the early stages of the pandemic, Ginger reported a 16 percent increase in delivered sessions. Many of these conversations included mentions of “coronavirus,” suggesting that COVID-19 directly influenced patients’ stress levels and desire for support.
Telehealth reduces barriers to care by allowing patients to seek help from the safety of their homes. It also expands reach, giving providers the ability to serve larger populations without geographical limitations. This scalability is particularly important during times when in-person sessions pose health risks for both patients and clinicians.
Policy Shifts Supporting Telehealth
In recognition of telehealth’s role during the pandemic, policymakers have taken steps to ease restrictions. On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, freeing up $50 billion in response efforts and empowering the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive certain health care regulations.
“This includes the ability to waive laws to enable tele-health, a fairly new and incredible thing,” President Trump announced. The move allows doctors across state lines to provide services in areas with the greatest need, effectively broadening access to behavioral health care.
This policy shift followed calls from major health organizations, including the National Council for Behavioral Health, urging Congress to expand telehealth flexibilities. These groups argued that restrictions needed to be waived not only for COVID-19-related care but for all medical conditions during the public health emergency. The emergency declaration addressed many of these concerns, opening the door for broader telehealth use nationwide.
Challenges in Scaling Telehealth
While telehealth provides hope, it is not a cure-all. Not all providers are equipped with the infrastructure to scale quickly, and not all patients have the technology or internet access required for virtual care. Additionally, privacy concerns and reimbursement models present hurdles that must be carefully addressed.
Still, Sabbatino urged providers to make telehealth a priority. “Any clinician that recently left your practice, try to see if you can bring them back,” he said. “Any telehealth capabilities that you have, can you scale them? And then think about how you can protect your clinicians when patients do come in — because the worst thing is once health care professionals get sick, that’s just another exponential growth factor between the mismatch of supply and demand.”
Protecting the Workforce
In addition to telehealth, protecting the behavioral health workforce remains a top priority. Providers must ensure that clinicians have access to personal protective equipment (PPE), infection-control protocols, and supportive resources to reduce their risk of exposure. Flexible scheduling, mental health support for staff, and clear communication are essential in maintaining workforce resilience during times of heightened stress.
Hospitals and clinics must also consider how to reallocate resources strategically. For example, former clinicians or part-time professionals may be recruited to rejoin the workforce temporarily. Training staff to handle diverse patient needs and adopting team-based care models can also help maximize limited resources.
Looking Toward the Future
The pandemic underscores the urgent need to address long-standing gaps in the behavioral health workforce. While the immediate focus is on managing the current crisis, the long-term challenge remains: how to build a more sustainable, resilient system capable of meeting the growing demand for mental health and substance use services.
Investments in education, training, and retention strategies for behavioral health professionals will be critical. Policymakers, providers, and trade organizations must continue to advocate for funding and infrastructure that not only supports patients but also ensures a strong workforce.
Conclusion
COVID-19 has revealed both the fragility and resilience of the behavioral health system. The pandemic is expected to increase demand for services, but a shortage of providers threatens the ability to meet this need. Telehealth offers a powerful tool to bridge the gap, supported by recent policy changes that expand access and flexibility. Still, protecting clinicians and investing in long-term workforce solutions are vital to ensuring sustainable care.
The crisis has reminded us that behavioral health is not secondary to physical health—it is central to overall well-being. As the nation moves forward, building a stronger, more adaptable behavioral health workforce will be essential to addressing both current and future challenges.
