SECTION 1. There shall be a behavioral health workforce commission to study the workforce needs of the behavioral health system in the commonwealth and to identify reasons for behavioral health workforce shortages, including, but not limited to, shortages in inpatient and community-based settings.

The commission shall issue a report that shall include: (1) an assessment of the current behavioral health workforce, workforce needs and workforce shortages by service type, settings and geography; (2) barriers to increasing the workforce in any identified shortage areas; (3) the impact of commercial and public behavioral health wage rates on the ability to recruit and retain behavioral health providers; and (4) recommendations and best practices proven to have the most impact on addressing behavioral health workforce shortages. In preparing the report, the commission shall look at the efficacy of: (i) expanding and funding mechanisms for loan forgiveness and scholarship programs for all providers in the behavioral health field, regardless of whether they practice in a health professional shortage area; (ii) the inclusion of behavioral health curriculum earlier in medical, nursing, and other educational programs; (iii) expanding slots at associates and bachelors level registered nurse programs; (vi) creating programs to encourage registered nurses to work in psychiatric settings, including internships and fellowships in psychiatric nursing; (v) increasing the number of psychiatric clinical sites for nursing students; (vi) increasing training for behavioral health providers to treat severe mental illness and substance use disorders; (vii) expanding the scope of practice for psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists and psychiatric nurse practitioners in inpatient settings by allowing all providers to work at the top of their license; and (viii) any other recommendations relevant to addressing behavioral health workforce shortages.

The commission shall consist of 23 members: the secretary of health and human services or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the commissioner of mental health or a designee; the commissioner of public health or a designee; the director of the office of Medicaid or a designee, the commissioner of the department of higher education or a designee; and 1 representative from each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Massachusetts Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses, the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, the Massachusetts Psychological Association, the Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Nurses Association Massachusetts, the Organization of Nurse Leaders, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, the Association of Behavioral Healthcare, the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts, the Children’s Mental Health Campaign, the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

The commission shall file a report on its findings and recommendations, together with any recommendations for legislation, with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and with the chairs of the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery no later than 1 year from the effective date of this act.