Rural Nurse Practitioner Behavioral Health Program
Increase Access to Behavioral Health Services
This Grow Your Own model is an innovative project to increase access to behavioral health services in rural Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming and is possible with the support from our partners:
The Challenge
Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming have a shortage of professional behavioral health providers across all three states. Rural and underserved communities have the most problematic shortages. Family nurse practitioners, specifically, from earlier Center run programs have indicated that the majority of their patient populations have chronic illnesses exacerbated by unmanaged or undiagnosed behavioral health challenges and the communities in which they live do not have enough specialized behavioral health providers.
The Solution
The Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence developed this fellowship program to support nurse practitioners living in rural and underserved communities through the process of obtaining their certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP). This is a “Grow Your Own” model where the recipients are NPs already embedded in the rural and underserved communities where they plan to practice.
Program Details
Licensed nurse practitioners who are currently embedded in rural/underserved Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico are eligible to apply for the fellowship.
The fellowship provides:
- Financial stipend up to $18,500
- Flexibility to choose your school
- Monthly 1:1 academic and professional coaching
- Training related to telehealth, trauma-informed leadership, and integrated care models
Apply for the Program
This cohort is currently closed, however we are accepting applications for Colorado residents in another similar program, APPLY HERE.