Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner - Behavioral Health (APTA - New Grad)

APTA Overview

The Behavioral Health Advanced Practitioner Training Academy (APTA) is a 13-week intensive program for newly graduated Advanced Practice Providers (PAs or NPs) who have recently joined Neighborhood Healthcare. The program includes in-person and telehealth clinical shadowing experience, supervised clinical practice with preceptors at continuity care clinics, specialty rotations (child, addiction, and geriatric psychiatry), didactics, and self-driven learning.

Importance of the Program

Neighborhood Healthcare serves a complex patient population. Newly graduated Advanced Practice Providers are offered postgraduate training to enhance their acclimation to our patient population. Upon joining, APPs must quickly adapt to the EMR system, manage patient messages and lab results, handle administrative tasks, and interact with primary care providers in a managed care team model. The APTA program aims to:

• Enhance clinical expertise (skills and knowledge)
• Improve communication with support staff
• Master system navigation to reduce stress and increase efficiency

Shadowing Specialists

• Addiction Medicine: Shadowing specialists provides deeper insights and understanding of addiction and experience with the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program.
• Geriatric Medicine: Through clinical rotations, APPs learn the nuances of and become more comfortable providing psychiatric care to elderly patients.
• Child Psychiatry: Experience working with children and teenagers helps APPs better understand nuances in psychiatric management.
• Primary Care: Rotation with PCPs expands differential diagnosis and understanding of when to order additional testing.

Role Overview and Purpose

The Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner supports Neighborhood Healthcare's mission and vision by providing excellent patient-centered care and services within a dynamic team environment. The role involves psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and other responsibilities under the direction of psychiatrists.

Responsibilities

• Provides psychiatric evaluation, diagnostic assessment, medication management, medication-assisted treatments, psychoeducation, and follow-up to patients
• Orders, interprets, and evaluates diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient’s clinical problems and health care needs
• Participates in the credentialing process with managed care companies by providing personal information, as needed
• Participates in process and program quality improvement initiatives to improve care for patients
• Participates in patient case conferences and departmental/agency meetings, as directed
• Impacts patient experience by demonstrating courteous and helpful behavior and a commitment to accuracy
• Completes patient medical record documentation according to company policies and procedures
• Shares accountability for overall patient health outcomes by working in coordination with Care Teams
• Operates to instill confidence in our care and in our facilities to patients, fellow employees, and other stakeholders

Education/Experience

Nurse Practitioner

• Master’s degree in nursing required
• CANP and RN license required
• Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner required
• Current CA DEA licensure is required and is to be maintained as a condition of employment
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification though an American Heart Association (AHA)-Approved source is required upon hire and must be maintained as a condition of employment. AHA-approved courses include an in-person, hands-on skills check with a certified instructor using a mannequin to demonstrate CPR and emergency response techniques. Online-only BLS courses without a live skills check do not meet this requirement
• Completion of advanced pharmacology course with class II controlled substances required

Physician Assistant

• Bachelor’s degree and completion of an accredited Physician Assistant Program
• Valid CA Physician Assistant license required
• Pychiatric Certified Added Qualifications (CAQ) preferred
• Current CA DEA licensure is required and is to be maintained as a condition of employment
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification though an American Heart Association (AHA)-Approved source is required upon hire and must be maintained as a condition of employment. AHA-approved courses include an in-person, hands-on skills check with a certified instructor using a mannequin to demonstrate CPR and emergency response techniques. Online-only BLS courses without a live skills check do not meet this requirement
• Completion of advanced pharmacology course with class II-controlled substances required

Additional Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including superior composition, typing, and proofreading skills
• Knowledgeable about and experience with providing psychiatric services to patients
• Excellent planning and organizational ability
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently
• Ability to work with highly confidential information in a professional and ethical manner

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift/carry 20 lbs/weight
• Ability to stand for long periods of time

Compliance (Safety & HIPAA)

• Follows all safety procedures as outlined in Neighborhood Healthcare’s Illness and Injury Prevention Plan (IIPP) and report any injuries and/or unsafe conditions immediately
• Maintains current knowledge of policies and procedures as they relate to safe work practices
• Follows all safety procedures and report unsafe conditions
• Uses appropriate body mechanics to ensure an injury-free environment
• Familiarity with location of nearest fire extinguisher and emergency exits
• Follows all infection control procedures including blood-borne pathogen protocols
• Maintains privacy of all patients, employee, and volunteer information and access such information only on a need-to-know basis for business purposes
• Reports all behavior and/or activity that are unethical, fraudulent, or unlawful

Pay Range

$135,400.00 to $211,200.00 per year, depending on experience.