Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program: Purpose & Overview

Click here for a program overview

In response to Massachusetts' (MA) increasing demand for psychiatric and mental health services, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) utilized funds received from the U.S. Department of the Treasury from the Fiscal Recovery Fund (FRF) to establish a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Fellowship Program (Program).

The Program will consist of two categories of Fellows: (i) Student PMHNPs and (ii) Graduate PMHNPs (also known as practicing-level PMHNPs). A Graduate PMHNP must be defined by at least one of the following descriptions:

• Completed a PMHNP program within 18 months of the start of the Fellowship,
• Will complete a PMHNP program by the start of the Fellowship, or
• A recent graduate hired between 6/1/23 and 6/30/24 as a new PMHNP (within 18 months of graduation) at a community health center.

The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (MLCHC) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to establish a PMHNP Fellowship Program at Community Health Centers (CHCs) with at least one being in a rural area. CHCs that are interested in receiving support for their behavioral health workforce needs are invited to apply.

A CHC is defined as a health center located in Massachusetts, operated by an organization that meets the criteria to qualify as a Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a hospital-licensed health center or an FQHC look-alike. CHCs that serve diverse communities, rural communities, or are in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area are strongly encouraged to apply. PMHNP graduates will fulfill a 12-month service commitment. PMHNP students will have a semester-long obligation with the option to extend the Fellowship to additional semesters. CHCs may apply for more than one Fellow placement.

All interested Fellows (graduates* and students) must submit applications through the UMass Chan GSN website to be considered.

*PMHNPs who were recently hired (between 6/1/23 and 6/30/24) by a CHC must submit a graduate Fellow application and request to be matched to their CHC employer, providing the CHC also submits a proposal and is approved for funding.

UMass Chan GSN PMHNP program website

WHAT WILL THIS FELLOWSHIP OFFER.

This Fellowship offers CHCs the opportunity to expand their ability to attract and prepare skilled PMHNPs to provide community psychiatric and behavioral health services. The Fellowship offers graduates who have completed a PMHNP program, recently hired PMHNPs, and student registered nurses enrolled in a PMHNP program the opportunity to increase their knowledge and improve their skills while receiving support from preceptors and supporting clinicians at the CHC.

Core Program Components

• Compensation for prescribing Preceptors and non-prescribing Preceptors supporting PMHNP Fellows.
• Salary, fringe, and incentives for graduate Fellows supported by grant funding.
• Stipends for student Fellows supported by grant funding.
• Remote prescribing precepting support is available, if necessary
• Didactics provided by UMass Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing

FAQs: RFP, Application and Program Questions

Please send all questions to: pmhnpfellows@Massleague.org

-Once the RFP is released, questions related to the RFP and CHC application will be accepted via email through March 12, 2024. All answers will be posted in the FAQs link below by March 18, 2024. All dates are subject to change so please check back!

-General program questions can be submitted to the same email address and will be posted and answered on this website in the FAQs link below on a rolling basis throughout the program.

If you encounter any issues with submission, please email Emily Price at EPrice@massleague.org

APPLICATION TIMELINE

**All dates are subject to change so please check back!

Links:

• Information session slides
• Information session recording (Passcode: J?62Y#5E) *hiring date range for new hire grad eligibility has been changed to 6/1/23-6/30/24, change was made after this recording was made

• FAQs (will be updated on a rolling basis with all questions regarding the RFP/CHC application posted by 3/18/24)

• Webinar Slides
• Webinar Recording (Passcode: m&L@J5qy)

• Request for Proposals
• Proposal Applications for CHCs

¹Established under Section 602 of the Social Security Act, as added by Section 9901 of ARPA

²https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federally-qualified-health-center-fqhc

³https://www.mass.gov/info-details/health-care-facilities-in-massachusetts

⁴ https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural

⁵What Is Shortage Designation? | Bureau of Health Workforce (hrsa.gov)