The New Hampshire Department Of Education identified school-based personnel shortages in school social workers and special educators trained in emotional and behavioral disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and other learning disabilities. Regarding school based social workers, the National Association of School Psychologists found that school social workers are particularly scarce in New Hampshire.
Regarding special and general educators, nearly 25% of new teachers drop out in their first four years and the rate is higher among teachers who work with students with emotional and behavioral challenges (EBC), contributing to chronic shortages. While educators are dedicated to meeting the needs of students with EBC, they receive little training in this area and cite student behavior problems as a significant contributor to teacher burnout. The stability and longevity of New Hampshire’s community mental health children’s workforce has also been a longstanding concern, with annual turnover rates of direct service workers as high as 20%, and a shortage of qualified professionals in NH’s community behavioral health system.
Increased resources are needed to ensure a highly qualified workforce in New Hampshire's education and children’s behavioral health systems.
