Program Overview

Mission

The mission of the University of Washington Advanced Practice Psychiatric Provider Fellowship Program is to improve the health of Washingtonians by preparing psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNP) to deliver high–quality behavioral health care through an innovative Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP / APRN) fellowship program. 

Vision

We believe there is no health without mental health and that by empowering psychiatric nurse practitioners in evidence-based care, we will transform the access to effective mental health care across Washington state through collaboration, community support, and sustainable access to care for patient families. 

Program Expanded Vision Statements

• Expand Washington’s behavioral health workforce through advanced psychiatric training for newly graduated psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners that emphasizes clinical competence, confidence, and sustained professional development. 
• Increase workforce capacity for delivering data-driven continuous quality improvement as part of a learning behavioral healthcare system. 
• Foster the development of psychiatric nurse clinical leaders who are accountable for providing team-based, patient-centered care to all persons in need of behavioral health services in the community. 
• Enhance advanced practice psychiatric provider career satisfaction and retention in the behavioral health workforce.   
• Develop a cohort of advanced practice psychiatric provider graduates with skills as clinical educators to contribute to sustainable behavioral health workforce development and mentorship.  

Program Goals

• Provide experienced evidence-based behavioral health care to diverse adult populations for a range of common mental health conditions.
• Enhance skillset as a direct care provider and through indirect psychiatric consultation to maintain an effective balance between individual patients’ clinical needs and caring for a larger population in the community.
• Demonstrate a commitment to practice improvement through use of continuous quality improvement methods, anti-racism strategies and participation in continuing education formally.
• Participate as an effective member of interdisciplinary care teams in a range of psychiatric and general medical settings..
• Gain exposure to the roles of clinical leader, teacher, and mentor for advanced practice provider students and other behavioral health workforce members.
• Promote personal and organizational well-being and resilience.
• Develop clinical practice strategies and habits that promote efficient care delivery and facilitate an effective transition to sustainable practice.

Fellowship Overview

This PMHNP program has been carefully constructed from the ground up to provide preceptor-supported and individually tailored assistance in the transition to independent practice. Fellows benefit from three main components of the program: 

• Continuing Education and Life-Long Learning:  Fellows gain insight into the most evidence-based practices and cutting-edge research through the weekly didactics provided by world-renowned faculty and affiliates of the University of Washington Medical Center and the schools of Medicine and Nursing. 
• Quality Improvement and Leadership: With the direct support of QI experts, fellows develop and implement a quality improvement project that helps improve the healthcare landscape for patients and communities. Fellows also gain valuable skills in quality improvement methods and tools, as well as leadership and teamwork (particularly in interdisciplinary teams). 
• Clinical Psychiatric Care: PMHNP Fellows provide comprehensive and compassionate care to patients with various mental health conditions in various settings. Preceptors come from various disciplines, including Psychologists, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, and Medical Doctors. Each fellow receives advanced training and certification in three types of psychotherapy (Behavioral Activation, Problem Solving Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia). In addition, each ARNP fellow practices in multiple specialty settings. Some possibilities from previous cohorts include integrative care psychiatry, inpatient consult liaison, geriatric psychiatry, emergency psychiatry, psycho-oncology, and general outpatient psychiatric care for adults with various mental health conditions.
  

Why Should You Consider a Fellowship

A growing need

Existing shortages of behavioral health professionals throughout our region have only been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advanced Practice Psychiatric Providers can meet the growing and disproportionate need for mental health care by serving as independent providers in urban and rural communities.

Hands-on clinical practice

The fellowship will provide the opportunity for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Providers to increase their responsibilities in patient care and panel management progressively. Since Advanced Practice Psychiatric Provider residents are licensed and credentialed, they can contribute to patient care while learning in an interprofessional environment.

Bridging the gap from training to practice

A fellowship program can help bridge the gap from training to practice and help Advanced Practice Psychiatric Providers gain valuable experience in real-world settings over the 12-month program.

UW offers exceptional training

With renowned faculty from the UW School of Nursing, The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,  we have a unique opportunity to offer state-of-the-art training and clinical practice experience for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Provider residents in a cutting-edge behavioral health facility with expert clinicians on-site.

Improving behavioral health access

The Advanced Practice Psychiatric Provider Fellowship program can improve the availability of skilled, independent mental health practitioners for our region and improve access through 24/7 state-wide telepsychiatry consultation services that will be based in the new Behavioral Health Teaching Facility at UW Medical Center – Northwest.

Funded by: Premera Blue Cross