Millions of health workers gain mental health protections through wellbeing initiative
ADA joins national coalition
More than 2 million U.S. health care workers can now seek mental health care without fear of professional consequences, due to a national effort aimed at removing stigma and improving access to support.
The Wellbeing First Champion Challenge, led by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, has verified that 60 licensure boards and 1,850 hospitals, clinics and other care facilities have eliminated intrusive mental health questions from licensing and credentialing applications. Announced during Suicide Prevention Month, the milestone represents an expansion of the initiative since its launch last year.
These reforms affect approximately 1.85 million licensed healthcare professionals and 357,000 credentialed workers, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and dental professionals, according to the foundation. The ADA is among the national organizations supporting the coalition’s mission.
“We commend the work of this coalition that has helped dental and other healthcare professionals face mental and behavioral health conditions without fearing for potential career repercussions for seeking the care they need to protect their health and wellbeing,” said ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S. “The American Dental Association congratulates those licensure agencies, especially the agencies that have removed stigmatizing language from dental and dental hygiene applications, and the healthcare facilities that have endorsed new programs to help the millions of healthcare workers in need.”
Since last year the number of dental licensure boards recognized as Wellbeing First Champions has grown from one to five, now benefiting nearly 65,000 dental professionals, according to the foundation. In addition to licensing agencies, the challenge now includes a wide range of employers that have updated their internal applications to remove stigmatizing questions.
The initiative honors the legacy of Lorna Breen, M.D., an emergency physician who died by suicide in 2020. Her foundation continues to advocate for systemic changes that protect the mental health of healthcare workers.
The ADA's Preventing Unfair Discrimination licensure reform toolkit, which highlights states that have reformed licensure applications for dentists and dental hygienists, is available here.
