Health Professional Shortage Area Mental Health

MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA (MHPSA)

The federal HPSA designation (formerly Health Manpower Shortage Areas) identifies areas as having a shortage of mental health providers on the basis of availability of psychiatrist and mental health professionals. To qualify for designation as a Mental HPSA, an area must be:

1. A rational service area for the delivery of mental health services,

2. A lack of access to care provided by Core Mental Health Professionals (CMHP) in the area, and

3. One of the following conditions prevails in the area:

   1. a. The population to CMHP ratio is > 6,000:1, and the population to psychiatrist ratio is > 20,000:1, OR

   2. b. The population to CMHP ratio is > 9,000:1 OR c. The population to psychiatrist ratio is > 30,000:1.

Benefits of designation as a HPSA include:

• student loan repayment and personnel placement through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)

• improved Medicare reimbursement enhanced federal grant eligibility

This data was updated July2014. (2014 ver.7)