In the past five years, there have been significant federal, state, and local efforts to build comprehensive crisis service systems. However, behavioral health workforce shortages and a mismatch between traditional training and crisis-response needs continue to present challenges. This session will describe current workforce shortages and explain why traditional clinical training may not adequately prepare providers for crisis work. Learn specific policy recommendations and examples focused on investing in crisis response workforce development and training, supporting the development of a Community Behavioral Health Crisis Responder (CBHCR) credential, partnering with community colleges to expand the workforce pipeline, establishing regional centers of excellence for training, and ensuring adequate and sustainable funding. Learn how federal, state, and local mechanisms can support crisis workforce development and sustainable funding.