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HPC launches Behavioral Health Workforce Center advisory group; Karen Coughlin joins commission
Summary
The HPC introduced commissioner Karen Coughlin and reported that the Behavioral Health Workforce Center has formed a diverse advisory group whose first meeting will be Feb. 25; commissioners pressed staff on whether direct‑care DMH workers and maternal mental health perspectives are represented.
The Health Policy Commission began its first public board meeting of 2025 by welcoming Karen Coughlin, a registered nurse appointed to the commission by the state auditor, and by updating commissioners on the newly launched Behavioral Health Workforce Center and its inaugural advisory group.
Chair Devau announced the appointment and asked Coughlin to speak. Coughlin described more than 40 years at the bedside — largely at Taunton State Hospital — leadership roles with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the Northeast Nurses Association, and years advocating on workplace violence and behavioral health service access.
Amy Doyle, director of the Behavioral Health Workforce Center, said the center was established last year with Executive Office of Health and Human Services support and has grown to a four‑person team. Staff launched a procurement in October to recruit members for an inaugural advisory group and selected a diverse group of about 30 members (providers, patient representatives, industry experts and policy makers). Doyle said the group will meet at least quarterly and that the first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 25 via Zoom.
Commissioners asked whether the roster included direct‑care workers from the Department of Mental Health and whether maternal/perinatal mental health expertise was represented. Coughlin said she was "surprised that there is no one specifically like Direct Care Workforce like from dmh," and Doyle replied the procurement intentionally asked state employees not to apply to avoid conflicts of interest but that several members are current direct‑care providers; staff offered to share aggregate demographic and geographic data about the selection and to engage commissioners in further recruitment.
The center will use the advisory group to inform workforce priorities and has asked members to commit to about 18 months of engagement on top priorities such as worker retention, training and service distribution. Staff invited commissioners to help shape the group’s future membership and to share suggested participants.
Sources: introduction and Q&A at the Health Policy Commission meeting (Jan. 2025).
