Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce Pathways Advancement
Valley Vision is partnering with the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) to support a countywide Mental and Behavioral Health (MBH) Workforce Advisory Body, connecting employers and educational institutions across Sacramento County. As a key facilitator in this initiative, Valley Vision leverages its expertise in regional workforce development, economic planning, and community collaboration to drive meaningful progress. We are actively helping SCOE and regional partners by:
- Facilitating Strategic Collaboration: Valley Vision supports the convening and coordination of the MBH Workforce Advisory Body, bringing together diverse stakeholders, including educators, employers, and community organizations, to foster aligned strategies and shared goals for addressing workforce shortages
- Conducting In-Depth Research and Analysis: We lead job demand analyses and competency mapping to identify critical skills gaps in the MBH sector, providing data-driven insights that inform pathway development and ensure training programs meet real-world needs.
- Building Sustainable Pathways: Valley Vision assists with designing and implementing clear, inclusive education-to-career pathways, expanding talent supply chains, and aligning them with aligning with industry to attract a diverse pool of students and job seekers.
- Promoting Continuous Improvement: Through ongoing evaluation and reporting, Valley Vision ensures the initiative’s long-term sustainability, recommending strategy adaptation to evolving demands and measuring impact on the region’s MBH workforce.
The initiative’s goal is to create clear, aligned pathways into MBH careers in the Greater Sacramento region. By attracting and supporting a diverse pool of students and job seekers, the work aims to address the critical skills gap in the MBH sector through collaboration, strategic planning, and the development of a sustainable talent pipeline.
Key priorities include:
- Strengthening collaboration between education providers and employers
- Conducting job demand analysis to guide planning
- Establishing consistent competency requirements
- Mapping education pathways and talent flows
- Expanding and aligning talent supply chains with training programs
- Ensuring the continuous improvement and long-term sustainability of the MBH workforce pathways
Resources
Check out the tools and findings from this project:
Bi-Annual Reports: Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce Advisory
The Sacramento County Office of Education Mental and Behavioral Health Workforce Advisory Bi-Annual Report speaks on regional efforts that strengthen and expand pathways into mental and behavioral health careers across Greater Sacramento. Developed by Valley Vision, the report outlines key workforce trends, hiring challenges, and opportunities identified through engagement with employers, education, and community partners. Findings emphasize persistent shortages in entry level, paraprofessional, clinical, and social work roles, while also identifying barriers related to training access, funding, and workforce navigation. The report also shares recommendations and next steps to build a more sustainable, equitable, and connected mental and behavioral health workforce pipeline for the region. Read More Below!
Get Involved
Shape the future of Mental and Behavioral Health careers in Sacramento!
Email Diangelo Andrews at diangelo.andrews@valleyvision.org to join the project.