The ability to serve the community begins with a trained, engaged and representative workforce to support people on their wellness journey.
Through the Behavioral Health Workforce Council, the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) brings partners together to address workforce challenges and opportunities across Franklin County.
Behavioral health care workforce shortages existed long before the COVID-19 pandemic, as stated in the council’s workforce development plan, and have continued to grow, leaving fewer professionals and community providers to sustain care and respond to growing demand.
A major factor contributing to this shortage is the difficulty in attracting students to the field. Challenges such as high emotional demands and burnout risk, lower entry-level wages compared to other professions requiring similar education and increased competition from private practice, hospitals and telehealth companies all play a role in steering potential candidates toward other career paths.
These issues underscore why one of the workforce council’s key priorities is recruitment and retention — building strategic partnerships with educational institutions and health care organizations to attract, support and retain new professionals across the full continuum of behavioral health careers.
This fall, ADAMH and its partners advanced that priority with the launch of the Pathways to Practice cohort created in collaboration with Columbus State Community College.
Pathways to Practice is a hands-on experience introducing students to careers in community behavioral health. Participants expand professional networks, strengthen job readiness and gain exposure to agency operations. Through career exploration, applied training and policy insight, students bridge classroom learning with community-based practice to prepare for impactful roles in community behavioral health field.
Linda Jakes, Executive Director of Concord Counseling Services and chair of the workforce council workgroup that created Pathways, said the program emerged from a shared recognition that many students lacked a clear understanding of the community behavioral health field.
ADAMH funds mental health and addiction services through a network of more than 50 community-based, non-profit agencies located in neighborhoods throughout Franklin County. The community behavioral health field aims to provide a broader range of support, often with a focus on serving the local community and linking individuals with necessary resources.
“In our research, we noticed that a lot of students wanted to go into private practice, so when they were placed in community behavioral health settings as part of their practicum, they moved through it without truly understanding the field,” Linda said.
“Hopefully, Pathways to Practice shows students that community behavioral health could be a good full-time career, or at least better show them the system at-large and how we all interface with one another.”
Seven Columbus State students enrolled in the social work and human services program were matched with ADAMH network providers including Concord, St. Vincent Family Services, Syntero, Maryhaven and Directions for Youth and Families. Alongside completing their practicum hours at their assigned agencies, the students also met biweekly at rotating provider locations, where they learned about each organization, explored various roles, toured facilities and participated in hands-on activities.
“I’ve met so many intelligent and successful people through this experience,” said Katie Coy, who was matched with Maryhaven. “I knew that social work was a broad field with a lot of different opportunities, but this program opened my eyes to even more possibilities.”
For many students, visiting each provider location became one of the most meaningful parts of the program, offering the chance to hear firsthand experiences from individuals across many walks of life.
“I think it’s been a great learning experience but also such a humbling one,” said Katherine Orellana, who was matched with St. Vincent Family Services. “We saw the side of the staff members who are so passionate about what they do, but we also heard stories from clients. It really put into perspective that, even though the stigma of searching for help is going away little by little, sometimes we’re still that lifeline somebody might need.”
Following the fall semester, Pathways to Practice will launch a spring cohort with The Ohio State University College of Social Work, then return to Columbus State in the fall of 2026.