Thundermist Launches Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Program
Wakefield, Rhode Island – Thundermist Health Center is pleased to announce its implementation of a 12-month Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency 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 Patient Centered Medical Home. Thundermist Health Center has partnered with the Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) in Middletown, CT to administer this program.
The residency program, which will run out of the agency’s South County location, begins with an orientation to Thundermist Health Center, the neighborhoods in which the training sites are located, and the health problems of the target population. The orientation includes walking tours of neighborhoods, tours of Thundermist sites statewide, meetings with community leaders, and technical training on the electronic health record. Mary Rose, RMHNP, CHCQM, CCM, Thundermist Health Center’s Chief Nursing Officer and a psychiatric nurse practitioner oversees the program and will serve as one of its preceptors.
The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency Program will provide the new psychiatric nurse practitioners an unparalleled experience working with a diverse population of patients with assorted behavioral health issues, from academic problems to victims of trauma. Experienced healthcare providers will work side-by-side with residents as they treat patients in the various health care settings. 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 at our South County location,” said Jeanne LaChance, Thundermist Interim CEO. “South County is suffering from a shortage of psychiatric services to address the mental health and addiction needs of the community. In fact, the area has been determined as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for mental health services. 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 Kerry Bamrick, CHC’s Senior Program Manager, the goals of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency 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 Federally Qualified 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 Nurse Practitioners ready to serve in leadership roles in community health settings.
Two residency slots are available for the 2017-2018 class, which will be housed in the organization’s South County location. The application deadline is May 30, 2017. The residency class begins September 1, 2017 and ends August 31, 2017. There is a one-year employment commitment upon completion of the residency program. For more information or to apply, visit our website at www.thundermisthealth.org.
For more information about the residency program, please contact npresidency@thundermisthealth.org.
Thundermist Health Center is a non-profit community health center providing primary health care services. Services include primary care, pediatrics, ob/gyn, internal medicine, dental, pharmacy, fully integrated behavioral health counseling and psychiatric care, including psychopharmacology, school-based health centers, and nutritional services, including the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program.
Thundermist has three locations, Woonsocket, South County, and West Warwick, and serves clients with and without health insurance. In 2016, Thundermist served more than 42,000 patients. It is a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home, the highest level of accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).