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Clinical Readiness at Entry: Assessing New Graduate Preparedness and the Role of Structured Onboarding Programs in Behavioral Health Settings

Published: 2026-09-15
Updated: 2026-09-15

Project Description

This mixed-methods study will survey behavioral health agency directors, with oversampling of CCBHCs, and interview leaders who have implemented structured onboarding programs to identify the competency gaps most common among new graduates and the onboarding models that close them most effectively. Findings will inform training curricula, employer onboarding investments, and policy on new graduate readiness, with potential expansion to readiness for other SAMHSA evidence-based practices such as Supported Employment, Assertive Community Treatment, and Coordinated Specialty Care.

Program on Health Workforce Research and Policy

Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

CB# 7590

725 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590

BHWorkforce@unc.edu

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This project is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U81HP46529 Cooperative Agreement for a Regional Center for Health Workforce Studies. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by SAMHSA, HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.