Mental Health in 2025: A Growing Need, A Shrinking Workforce

Across the country, millions are seeking mental health care, but an alarming shortage of providers is making it harder than ever to meet this growing need. Currently the United States is short more than 30,000 mental health workers, leaving millions Americans with insufficient access to care. For those who can get an appointment, waits can exceed 12 weeks, and in rural communities, the situation is worse. At the same time, mental health professionals are facing burnout at unprecedented levels, with many leaving the field.

These challenges have created a perfect storm for mental health care in America, as the demand for services continues to rise, the number of qualified providers continues to shrink.

At Anew Day, we’re directly addressing this storm. We operate our own training center, where we train the next generation of counselors and therapists to help address the shortage. Our training center educates and mentors Trainees (graduate students working toward their master’s degrees and earning supervised hours), Associates (clinicians who have completed their degrees and are accruing 3,000 hours required for licensure), and the bedrock of our organization, our Lay Counselors (community volunteers who receive extensive training). By training future professionals and dedicated volunteers, we’re not only addressing the shortage, but we’re also building a sustainable, community-driven workforce to provide care.

But it doesn’t stop there. At Anew Day, our model thrives through community support. Volunteers, donors, and countless other contributors all come together with our staff and fully licensed practitioners to care for our community. Our doors are open to all, regardless of background, beliefs, or ability to pay. As we at Anew Day have been unconditionally loved by God, we are called to love others “…just as Christ loved us…” (Ephesians 5:2).

We believe in the power of grassroots models to make a real difference, especially when traditional systems are stretched thin. WE INVITE YOU to join us in this important work. Whether through donations, offering your time, or simply spreading the word, your support helps ensure that those in need of mental health care can find the services they deserve.

Together, we can create lasting change in this time of increasing mental health needs and decreasing practitioners so that everyone can access the support they need.

How To Support Anew Day

What Is The Value Of A Building?

As we celebrate the one year anniversary of moving into our new office on Gold Flat Road, it seems like a perfect time to reflect on what this building has meant to the ministry and mission of Anew Day. How has the building itself been a part of spreading hope in our community?

It was with thoughtful intention that this space was created to be a warm and welcoming environment for each client that comes seeking healing, growth and wellness. The counseling rooms were identically furnished so that if a client's session needs to be in a different room than usual, it still feels familiar to them. For some of our clients, the space is so dramatically different from their home that they have remarked that this is the “only place” or the “first place” they have ever felt truly safe.

Sound mitigation was a high priority and has made the rooms peaceful and calm, but what difference does this make? One client who came from an abusive home would startle in alarm with loud sounds that could be heard through the walls of our old office (despite our use of noise muffling sound machines). Her counselor remarked with joy about the difference our quieter rooms had made in allowing the client to feel safe and secure during their session. The client had been able to talk through the entire session without startling.

We also chose to make some specialty rooms. A youth room with multiple sensory objects, fidget objects, and decor that take away the clinic feel and give the room a cool, hang out vibe. One teen touring the building commented, “If I ever come here this is the room I'd want.” That is exactly what we were hoping for!

Additionally, we now have a room for emotional support animals for our two counselors who bring therapy dogs as well as for our clients who bring their emotional support dogs with them. As clients look at painful and traumatic parts of their lives, having this critical part of their support system present can be incredibly calming and helpful in making them feel safe.

Small groups use our art room. From Let Your HeART Speak art group to our weekly Women’s or Men’s Support Groups, to our Counseling Skills Workshop Training, this has been their safe place. More than once these groups have been offered the opportunity to move to our larger meeting room if they need more space and the response has been, “But this room feels so cozy and safe.”

You may have noticed the repeating theme of feeling safe. The design choices were intentional so we could meet the need clients have to feel safe because feeling safe is a prerequisite to being able to heal and grow.

This space is larger than our previous office and that has enabled us to place more clients. When we had limited space, we had some days where, due to staff availability, we had more counselors than rooms and couldn’t schedule clients for those potential sessions. With 14 counseling rooms, we now are able to schedule every hour our counselors generously donate to meet with our clients.

Lastly, as our staff of Lay Counselors has grown this year, we have been able to continue meeting as one group in our very large conference room. This has meant so much to our Lay Counseling team because it is the one time all week we can be together. We have even been able to invite the professional team to our meetings and monthly potluck lunches benefiting both teams with the opportunity for mutual encouragement and the sharing of learning and resources.

Whether we view the building through the eyes of our clients or our staff, we are grateful for the provision of such a beautiful, functional, safe space that enables us to better serve our community because that is our passion and our purpose.

Julie Bousfield

Lay Counseling Supervisor

Cultivating Growth & Healing

At Anew Day, our mission is to “provide affordable counseling services, support groups, education, and training to help people find healing from past hurts, peace in today’s struggles, and hope for a better tomorrow.” Our team of Lay Counselors and Professional Therapists work tirelessly to meet this mission through a variety of client-centered services, shaped by extensive training and years of experience.

We are singularly focused on alleviating emotional and mental health suffering in our community. This focus drives us to continually invest in the growth of our counselors and therapists, ensuring they’re always training in new techniques and interventions, as well as established and emerging therapeutic modalities. This dedication to training not only enhances the quality of care our clients receive but also promotes the personal and professional growth of our team.

Through ongoing education, our team gains knowledge that enriches their work as well as their own lives. Whether learning mindfulness or self-care, counselors engage in a learning process that is transformative for both them and their clients.

At Anew Day, we are dedicated to supporting both the healing journey of our clients and the development of our practitioners. Through integrated learning and practice, we foster an environment where clients and team members alike can grow. This approach, we believe, is an essential part of bringing healing and hope to those we serve in our community.

RECENT TRAININGS

• The Feelings Wheel

• Self-Care

• Mindfulness

• Role Playing

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Personal Values Exploration

• Healthy Boundaries

• Dynamics of Long-term Therapy