Enhancing Mental Health Therapist Retention

Abstract

This capstone project was conducted in partnership with Resilience Mental Health Solutions (RMHS; pseudonym), a large nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization operating across multiple U.S. states. The purpose of the study was to examine the persistent attrition of mental health therapists within the first three years of employment and identify factors that support retention beyond this critical threshold. Using a sequential mixed?methods design, the study combined survey data from 390 clinicians with human resources interviews and focus groups stratified by tenure, guided by Job Demands–Resources and Perceived Organizational Support theories. Findings indicate that early attrition is driven by misaligned productivity expectations, administrative burden, and burnout, while longer?term retention is sustained primarily by supervisory relationships and client connection but undermined by inconsistent organizational support related to compensation, benefits, paid time off, and career pathways.