U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas: A strong workforce is the key to solving Oregon’s mental health and addiction crisis

As one of the leading mental health advocates in Congress, I have spent a lot of time talking with mental health professionals in Oregon about how we can expand access to care and put an end to the crisis we are seeing right now. They consistently give me the same answer: Hire more providers.

We all know that there is a growing need for mental health and addiction services. It’s evident everywhere you go. Yet three out of five counties in my district — Marion, Polk, and Yamhill — are designated “mental health professional shortage areas,” which means that there simply are not enough providers to meet demand.

What’s more, our existing workforce is being underpaid, overworked and stretched beyond its limits. This is an unsustainable model that requires targeted, pragmatic solutions.

In response, Our legislation, the STAR Plus Scholarship Act, would create a new nontaxable scholarship program for students who are pursuing a degree in the mental health, behavioral health or substance use disorder treatment professions.

Currently, the average graduate with a master’s in social work has about $67,000 in debt. Psychology graduates take on anywhere between $95,000 to up to $160,000 in debt. These sky-high costs can be prohibitive for everyone except the very wealthy, but the students who are most impacted are those from low-income or minority communities.

Ironically, these same communities often have the highest need for mental health and addiction services. The STAR Plus Scholarship Act would help remedy this problem, prioritizing students from underrepresented groups and then requiring them to work in a mental health shortage area or a community with a higher-than-average overdose rate after graduation. It’s a commonsense idea: If you give people the tools they need to get ahead, they will bring the whole community along with them.

Before I decided to become a public servant, I wanted to be a clinician. However, coming from a working-class, immigrant family, I realized I would have to take on a mountain of student debt in order to pursue this dream. Becoming a mental health professional wasn’t in the cards for me, but it sparked a desire to make it easier for others — especially those who grew up in a working family like mine — to follow that career path.

The STAR Plus Scholarship Act is one piece of the puzzle, and I will continue working to enact more bipartisan policies that will help us build a stronger mental and behavioral health workforce and, in turn, connect more Oregonians with the quality, affordable care they deserve.

To learn more about my work on mental health and substance abuse issues, please visit my website at salinas.house.gov/issues/mental-health .

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas represents Oregon’s Sixth Congressional District, including Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, Newberg, Wilsonville, King City, Woodburn, and parts of Beaverton and Lake Oswego.