HARRISBURG, PA — Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health will receive a $250,000 state grant to support a workforce development program aimed at recruiting and retaining behavioral health professionals in southeastern Pennsylvania as demand for services strains the region’s labor pool.
The funding will support Devereux’s ASCEND Career Accelerator, a program launched in 2023 to strengthen recruitment and retention in behavioral health care.
The sector relies on clinicians, nurses, teachers, and direct care professionals to serve people with autism spectrum disorder, mental health needs and cognitive differences. Demand for those services has increased, according to state Reps. Jennifer O’Mara and Lisa Borowski, both Delaware County Democrats.
The lawmakers, who serve as chair and vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus Southeast Delegation, respectively, advocated for the state funding.
“The ASCEND program has shown promising results, but sustaining this vital program requires financial support,” O’Mara stated. “The Southeast Delegation advocated for this grant, and I’m proud to be part of the effort to bring it back to Southeast Pennsylvania.”
The grant targets a workforce constraint that can directly affect providers’ ability to meet demand for behavioral health services. ASCEND is designed to expand the pipeline of workers while improving retention among people already pursuing careers in the field.
“Every family deserves to know that when a loved one needs behavioral health services, there will be skilled, caring people nearby to provide them,” Borowski stated. “That starts with making sure we’re supporting the people who choose these careers and giving them opportunities to grow.”
Borowski described investment in the existing workforce as central to expanding access to behavioral health care, pointing to ASCEND as a model for supporting workers while addressing staffing needs.
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