ACCESS: SUPPORTS FOR LIVING LAUNCHES PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAM

Middletown, New York. – Access: Supports for Living is pleased to announce its implementation of a 12-month Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program.  The program, which is currently accepting applications, will begin in September 2017 and provide intensive training for new psychiatric nurse practitioners in a high performance community behavioral health model in Access’s clinically complex safety-net environment.  Access: Supports for Living has partnered with the Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI) in Middletown, CT to administer this program.

The residency program, which will run out of the agency’s Middletown location, begins with an orientation to Access: Supports for Living, the neighborhoods in which the training sites are located, and the health problems of the target population.  Katariina Hoaas, LCSW, Senior Vice President of Clinical and Program Services oversees the program and joins Dr. Lanre Somorin, who will serve as one of its preceptors, in leading the initiative.

The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program will provide the new psychiatric nurse practitioner an unparalleled experience working with a diverse population of patients with assorted conditions who may benefit from treatment for a variety of behavioral health issues from problems with coping with stress to victims of trauma. Experienced healthcare providers will work side-by-side with residents as they treat patients in the various behavioral health care settings at Access. The mentors will support residents in advancing their skills of delivering behavioral health care specific to the uninsured and underserved populations.

“We are pleased for the opportunity to begin this program, especially in Middletown, New York” said Dr. Lanre Somorin, Access Medical Director.  “New York is suffering from a shortage of psychiatric services to address the mental health and addiction needs of the community.  This program offers the unique opportunity to provide quality psychiatric services to those in need, and at the same time build a workforce of professionals that will serve the mental health needs of the community for years to come.

According to Katariina Hoaas, the goals of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Program are:

• Increase access to quality psychiatric care for underserved and special populations
• Provide new Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners with a depth, breadth, volume and intensity of clinical training necessary to serve as psychiatric nurse practitioners in the complex setting of the country’s Community Behavioral Health Centers
• Improve the skills, confidence, productivity, and job satisfaction of new psychiatric nurse practitioners who choose to work in underserved community settings
• Increase the number of Psychiatric NPs ready to serve in leadership roles in community health settings.

Two residency slots are available for the 2017-2018 class.  The application deadline is May 30, 2017. The residency class begins Sept. 1, 2017-August 31, 2017.   For more information or to apply, visit our website at https://accesssupports.org/work-with-us   

Access is dedicated to supporting the families and communities of the Hudson Valley and has been evolving services for people facing the challenges of disability and mental illness for over 50 years.   Access: Supports for Living is an agency with a simple goal – to support the families and communities of the Hudson Valley by helping people live the happiest, healthiest and fullest lives possible. We are committed to the future as we innovate today to support the people of the Hudson Valley in the coming years.  As the role of not for profits changes and communities are asked to strengthen supports for people with vulnerabilities, we are the resource the entire Hudson Valley can rely on.  Visit www.accesssupports.org, to learn more about the ways in which Access continues to be a solution for the Hudson Valley.  For services and information on ACCESS programs call 1-888-750-2266, seven-days-a-week, 24 hours a day.