Who Provides MHSUD Treatment?
The behavioral health (BH) workforce encompasses a wide range of clinicians and paraprofessionals who specialize in delivering or supporting MHSUD treatment. Often, different provider types have overlapping competencies, such as the ability to diagnose conditions or provide psychotherapy. Each provider type is subject to its own education, training, and licensing and/or certification standards that can vary by state. The table below describes key BH professionals who provide or support specialized MHSUD care, but this is not an exhaustive list.
Professionals who Provide or Support Specialized MHSUD Care
| Type of professional | General requirements (subject to state variation) | Key roles (subject to state variation) |
| Psychiatrist | – Bachelor’s degree – Medical degree – Post-graduate residency – State licensure – Board certification | – Prescribe medication – Diagnose MHSUD conditions and provide psychotherapy – Diagnose and treat non-MHSUD conditions |
| Addiction medicine physician | – Bachelor’s degree – Medical degree – Post-graduate residency – State licensure – Addiction medicine fellowship – Board certification | – Prescribe medication – Diagnose MHSUD conditions and provide psychotherapy – Diagnose and treat non-MHSUD conditions |
| Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner | – Bachelor’s degree in nursing – Licensure as a registered nurse – Graduate degree – Certification as a psych NP – State licensure | – Prescribe medication – Diagnose MHSUD conditions and provide psychotherapy – Diagnose and treat non-MHSUD conditions |
| Clinical psychologist | – Bachelor’s degree – Doctoral degree – Post-doctoral supervised practice – State licensure | – Diagnose MHSUD conditions and provide psychotherapy |
| Licensed clinical social worker | – Bachelor’s degree – Master’s degree in social work – Post-graduate supervised practice – State licensure | – Diagnose MHSUD conditions and provide psychotherapy |
| Licensed counselor – Licensed professional counselor; licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor | – Bachelor’s degree – Master’s degree in counseling – Post-graduate supervised practice – State licensure | – Diagnose MHSUD conditions and provide psychotherapy |
| Social worker | – Bachelor’s degree in social work | – Work as part of interdisciplinary team – Provide support services such as casework, patient education and implementing treatment plans |
| Behavioral health technician/aide | – Often requires a high school diploma or an associate’s degree – Often requires state-defined education/training – State certification requirements vary | – Work as part of interdisciplinary team – Provide support services related to patient education and implementing treatment plans |
| Peer support worker | – Lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorder – 40-48 educational hours, commonly – State certification | – Often work as part of interdisciplinary team – Provide non-clinical, recovery-oriented supports |
Sources: Congressional Research Service. (2018, April 20). The Mental Health Workforce: A Primer. Retrieved August 30, 2024; Mental Health America, Types of Mental Health Professionals. (n.d.). Retrieved August 30, 2024; American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (n.d.). About Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nurses. Retrieved September 6, 2024;
Council on Social Work Education. (n.d.). Social Work At A-Glance. Retrieved September 6, 2024;
Peer Recovery Center of Excellence. (2023, January). Comparative Analysis of State Requirements. Retrieved August 30, 2024; and National Governors Association. (2024, April 30). The Emerging Field of Behavioral Health Paraprofessionals. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
In addition to specialized BH providers, a range of primary care providers (PCPs), such as family physicians, often also deliver MHSUD treatment. PCPs play a critically important role as prescribers of medications for MHSUDs, in part because many areas lack specialized BH prescribers, such as psychiatrists.