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If you or someone you know is living with suicidal thoughts, mental health concerns, a substance use disorder or other emotional distress, find help here. If you are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, call, text, or chat 988.

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Initiatives

Supporting a skilled behavioral health workforce is essential to meeting community needs. Through initiatives like telehealth expansion and workforce training, the Division of Behavioral Health continues its long-standing commitment to using state and federal resources to build a strong, sustainable system of care.

Current Initiatives

 

  • Provide evidence-based practice (EBP) training at no cost to state-accredited and contracted agencies including specific service modalities and EBPs applicable to any client or program.

  • Utilize telehealth to provide flexibility in service delivery.

  • Work with partners such as SD HOSA and the Department of Health (DOH) Scrubs Camps to educate high schoolers on the behavioral health field.

  • Conduct regular Access to Services Surveys with contracted providers as an appraisal of agency staffing needs, vacancy trends, and the impacts of those variables on wait times for clients’ ability to access services.

  • Share data with providers and the South Dakota Council of Community Behavioral Health to inform advocacy for shared priorities in recruitment and retention efforts statewide.

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History of Workforce Development Initiatives

Publicly Funded Behavioral Health Workforce Support by State Fiscal Year (FY)

FY 11 - 15

Implemented psychiatric medication management at Community Mental Health Centers via telehealth, and later piloted telehealth service delivery in target populations.

FY 16

Implemented telehealth services statewide for the adult justice-involved population following a pilot in FY 15.

FY 17

Implemented  telehealth services statewide (justice-involved youth and individual/family therapy services), and expanded psychiatric telehealth services to include evaluation and assessment services.

FY 18

Expanded telehealth services for justice-involved youth, including substance use disorder treatment services.

FY 19

Implemented statewide telehealth substance use disorder treatment services for non-justice-involved populations and expanded telehealth programming for justice-involved youth. Implemented telehealth mental health services for SMI/SED populations.

FY 20

Implemented temporary flexibilities such as audio-only telehealth, authorized during the federal public health emergency. Supported grant funding to agencies for procurement of telehealth equipment and personal protective equipment.

FY 21

Implemented legislation to make the temporary flexibilities permanently allowed, including audio-only telehealth. Also implemented legislation to support use of telehealth in emergency situations (mental health commitment process).

FY 22

Supported training and technical assistance grants to provide funding to Community Mental Health Centers and contracted substance use disorder treatment and prevention providers serving identified priority populations.

FY 23

Supported technology grants to provide funding to Community Mental Health Centers and contracted substance use disorder treatment providers to purchase telehealth equipment.

FY 24

Supported community behavioral health agencies with training and technical assistance grants as well as funding to support workforce recruitment and retention activities.

FY 25

Funding reimbursement rates at 100% of the Rate Setting Workgroup's recommendation.