While the academic year has just ended for many, for this group of new nurses it has just begun.
On July 1, the University of California will welcome a group of students who are the inaugural participants in a program to train California’s mental health workforce.
This special group of nurse practitioners (NPs) has expanded their credentials through a system-wide, one-year, post-master’s degree, online/hybrid certification program in psychiatric care for practicing NPs and other advanced practice registered nurses.
A first-of-its-kind initiative in California, the UC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certification Program will leverage expertise from four UC schools of nursing to expand the mental health provider workforce and improve access to psychiatric and behavioral health care.
Upon completion of the UC PMHNP academic certification program, run by the Betty Eileen Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis in collaboration with the University of California School of Nursing, graduating PMHNPs will be able to participate on integrated care teams: They will be authorized to prescribe psychotropic medications, treat serious mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, and provide psychiatric care.
Deena Singh McCrae, MD, We applaud the UC PMHNP program’s goal of equipping graduates to be better equipped to address California’s mental health crisis, especially in underserved communities.
Calls for greater access to psychiatric care
be California Health Foundation SurveyIn California, more than 50% of residents with mental illness report not receiving psychiatric or behavioral health care, a situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many parts of California, especially rural and inland areas, have only half the number of psychiatrists as the rest of the state.
There is Calls We are seeking innovative solutions to expand the mental health provider workforce across the state, especially in rural areas where workforce shortages are more acutely felt. UCSF Health Forces Center Study This speaks to the role nurses play in meeting the growing needs of psychiatric and behavioral health care, especially in the context of an aging mental health care workforce. Nationwide Survey It has also been shown that NPs are more likely to live and practice in rural and medically underserved areas.
Answering the call: UC School of Nursing collaborates to expand mental health provider workforce
In 2021, four California University Schools of Nursing welcomed their first 38 students into the multi-campus UC PMHNP certification program, responding to the call for expanding the mental and behavioral health workforce. The program’s launch marks the California Health Care Foundation It has since been renamed the California Healthcare Access Information Agency (HCAI).
The 48-credit graduate degree provides coursework and clinical experience to help certified nurses earn their certification. National Qualification ExaminationThis will allow them to become certified PMHNPs and care for psychiatric and mental health patients.
The program is primarily intended for NPs and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who wish to further their education and expand their role by serving psychiatric patients in the community.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the original start date, 112 PMHNPs have graduated from the program. When the Class of 2024 completes the accredited program in one year, the number of UC PMHNP graduates will be 150.
“Increasing the behavioral health workforce through the UC PMHNP program means California will be better positioned to respond to the growing mental health crisis occurring across the state, especially in rural communities,” said Deena Singh McCray, M.D., vice chancellor for Academic Health Sciences at UC Health and clinical professor of psychiatry at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. “When trainees complete the UC PMHNP program, they will be equipped to address patients’ behavioral health needs as leaders and key members of interdisciplinary care teams. We are excited about this collaboration between four UC schools of nursing, working to be part of the solution to increase patient access to critical services.”
Dr. Steven Cavanagh, dean of the UC Davis Betty Eileen Moore School of Nursing, expects UC nursing faculty and students to play a role in creating solutions to mental health care needs across the state.
Students complete at least 500 hours of clinical experience in the community over four semesters and take intensive case-based courses at UC Davis. Nursing faculty from UCI, UCLA and UCSF also recruit, mentor and guide the curriculum.
Courses will study sociocultural factors that influence individuals’ ability to access and engage with health care, explore structural barriers and systems-level approaches to patient care, and help students develop clinical decision-making and leadership skills.
The hybrid learning model allows students to participate in the UC PMHNP program from home or work, regardless of what part of California they live in. Simulation Lab It also allows for synchronous practice and feedback from anywhere in the state, and the hybrid/online model allows students to gain exposure to the realities of working as a PMHNP in a telehealth environment.
New home for UC PMHNP certification program at University of California, Davis
This year marks the first year that UC Davis’ Betty Eileen Moore School of Nursing will oversee admissions for the UC PMHNP program, which was previously managed by the UCSF School of Nursing.
“This partnership between the UC Schools of Nursing is a testament to the power of collaboration and how we can expand our impact to reach those who desperately need mental health services,” said Dr. Steven Cavanagh, dean of the UC Davis Betty Eileen Moore School of Nursing. “Whether in Southern California, the Bay Area or the vast region that UC Davis serves, including the Central Valley, the Capital Region and even the Oregon border, our nursing faculty and students are part of a statewide solution to meet the needs of a growing population.”
This year’s UC PMHNP cohort is the program’s fourth, with classes beginning July 1. For more information about the program, UC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Certification Program.
