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Counselors’ group asks Legislature to update job classifications to expand hiring pipeline
Summary
The Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association and allied groups urged the committee to update EOHHS job classifications (H2218/S1380) so Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) and Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselors (LSMHCs) can be hired into state positions, increasing access in high‑need systems.
Boston — Behavioral‑health professionals asked the Joint Committee to modernize state job specifications so licensed mental health counselors can fill openings across state systems and agencies.
Joe Weeks, executive director of the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, told the committee H2218 and S1380 would update job classifications to explicitly include licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs and LSMHCs) so they can be hired for roles within state systems such as the Department of Mental Health, Department of Children and Families, and other EOHHS agencies.
“This is a fiscally responsible move,” Weeks said, arguing the change would unlock trained clinicians who are already licensed and ready to work in public systems without additional training costs. He said LMHCs are a diverse, growing segment of the workforce and more likely to be bilingual and to work in underserved areas.
John Sierra and other panelists echoed the request, noting that in December EOHHS implemented some regulation changes related to MassHealth payments but that job specifications have not kept pace with current licensure. Panelists urged the committee to approve language that allows agencies to recruit qualified clinicians, shorten wait times for care, and improve cultural and linguistic matching.
Why it matters: Advocates said administrative language has practical consequences: outdated job specs block qualified clinicians from public positions and lengthen wait lists for vulnerable populations such as children in foster care and people in crisis.
What the bills propose: H2218/S1380 would revise state job classifications so LMHCs and LSMHCs are eligible for positions where they are within existing scope of practice and licensure authority. Supporters described the change as administrative but impactful.
Ending: Panelists asked the committee to report the bills favorably and emphasized that the change requires coordination across EOHHS agencies to be implemented quickly.
