Workforce Diversity and Wait Times to Enter Opioid Treatment

Background: Racial and ethnic minorities face significant disparities in accessing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. While workforce diversity is theorized to improve cultural competency, rapport and retention, prior research has yielded mixed results regarding its impact on access, namely wait times. Conversely, workforce diversity may be associated with operational constraints. This study builds on previous work to determine how the association between minority staffing and wait times have changed post-pandemic. Methods: This study analyzes data from the National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (NDATSS) for 2017 (n = 101) and 2023 (n = 121) using multilevel linear regression to examine the relationship between staff racial composition and wait times to enter methadone treatment. Results: Consistent with historical trends, higher percentages of African American staff were associated with longer wait times overall. However, a significant interaction with the survey year reveals that this association weakened significantly in 2023 compared to 2017, suggesting a reduction in wait times for programs with diverse staffing in the post-pandemic landscape. Conclusion: The previously observed "cost" of workforce diversity on wait times appears to be diminishing. These findings suggest that evolving organizational practices or policy shifts may be allowing diverse teams to better facilitate timely access to care.