Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Residency
- Careers
- Residency programs
- Psychiatric NP Residency
NeighborHealth, a leading Federally Qualified Health Center in Greater Boston, is dedicated to providing accessible and compassionate health care for all. Our Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program embodies this mission by placing a special emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. We believe that by investing in the training and development of psychiatric nurse practitioners, we can empower our communities to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Program goals
The NeighborHealth PMHNP Residency Program aims to achieve the following goals:
1. Support new graduate or newly certified PMHNPs to practice high-quality and patient-centric psychiatric care.
2. Nurture the skills of highly committed PMHNPs to fill gaps in behavioral health and provide top-quality mental health support services to everyone, especially underserved communities.
3. Increase job satisfaction and retention of new psychiatric nurse practitioners who are dedicated to serving in the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) setting.
4. Equip the next generation of behavioral healthcare leaders with the skills and mindset to pioneer innovative approaches to behavioral health and wellness for their patients.
The program includes precepted general and specialty psychiatry sessions, didactic sessions and quality improvement training for broad, diverse, and structured training.
NeighborHealth offers two residency slots for this intensive training program. The training program is based at NeighborHealth sites in East Boston, Revere, and the South End, and is a full-time, 12-month salaried position with benefits; applicants must commit to the full duration of the residency.
Residents who successfully complete the training may be offered positions at NeighborHealth. If hired, the resident will be eligible to apply for HRSA and state loan repayment programs.
NeighborHealth invites newly graduated or newly certified psychiatric nurse practitioners or those nearing graduation to apply. Individuals must be board licensed and certified by July 1, 2024. Bilingual candidates are highly encouraged to apply to provide care in a language our patients understand best.
Program description
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency is designed to provide the clinical and academic experience necessary for a new or experienced psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners to step into the professional role in a community health center. Over 12 months, residents immerse themselves in a blend of clinical and academic experiences, preparing them to step into their roles with competence, mastery, and a deep sense of confidence. By the end of this residency, they emerge as skilled psychiatric providers ready to serve patients in a community health center from diverse backgrounds with complex clinical needs.
More about our program:
- Residents have a mixture of general and specialty psychiatry precepted sessions per week, with each session 4 hours in length. Residents will have productivity ramp up plans.
- Dedicated preceptors (licensed NPs and MDs) with at least 2 years of clinical experience provide direct supervision and consultation during the precepted sessions. Residents will increase in independence throughout the year.
- The residents will be trained to collaborate with providers in various disciplines within our Integrative Behavioral Health model.
- As a community health center, our knowledge base and service emphasis extend beyond the four walls of our clinics. The communities we serve tend to have significantly lower life expectancy and higher incidence of chronic disease; these topics will be highlighted and addressed throughout the residency. We believe that Integrated Behavioral Health is an important element of addressing this concern.
- Leadership and professional development skills are taught during clinical and didactic sessions. Our goal is to build on the skills our Residents currently have and ultimately develop our Residents into leaders, teachers, and role models for future students and Residents.
Program structure
40 hours per week, including:
- At least 7 precepted 4-hour sessions per week in general psychiatry and specialty clinics. Potential specialty experiences include:
- Pediatric Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Geriatric Psychiatry at Neighborhood PACE and more.
- 1 education session/week (didactic/seminar/workshop)
- Additional time per week for:
- Administrative and clinical follow up
- QI project
- Specialty supervision
Program benefits
- Full time salaried/benefited position, including:
- Personal and sick time
- Retirement plan
- Health, vision, and dental insurance
- CEU Time
- Staff Development Funds
- Development of a clinical portfolio over the course of the residency
- Post-Residency NP Mentorship if hired as a PMHNP at NeighborHealth
- Qualification for 1 year of service under current Public Service Loan Forgiveness criteria
Evaluation methods
- Pre- and post-residency self-evaluation
- Quarterly faculty evaluation of each resident
- Weekly meeting with residency program director
Important dates
- January 23, 2025: Application opens
- March 2, 2025: Applications due
- April/early May 2025: Interviews conducted
- May 9, 2025: Applicants notified of acceptance status
- October 20, 2025: Residency begins
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at PMHNP@NeighborHealth.com. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Patient information
Our secure online portal to all your health information.