*** The PMHNP Fellowship program is closed and does not have any planned future application cycles***
In response to Massachusetts’ increasing demand for psychiatric and mental health services, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) utilized funds received from the U.S. Department of the Treasury from the Fiscal Recovery Fund to establish a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Fellowship Program (Fellowship).
The Fellowship will consist of two categories of Fellows: (i) student PMHNPs and (ii) graduate PMHNPs (also known as practicing-level PMHNPs).
Eligibility
- Completed a PMHNP program within 18 months of the release of the RFP
- Completed a PMHNP program within 18 months of the release of the RFP and hired by an approved community health center (CHC) between the release date of this RFP and 6/30/25 with an employment start date no later than 7/1/25
All graduate-level fellows must complete exams and licensing requirements, be onboarded by the CHC, and be ready to start as a PMHNP no later than July 1, 2025, to fulfill the 12-month service commitment by June 30, 2026.
The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (MLCHC) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to establish a PMHNP Fellowship at CHCs.
Priority will be given to CHCs located in EOHHS’s Advancing Health Equity in MA (AHEM) Areas and rural areas (State Office of Rural Health Rural Definition | Mass.gov). Please review the RFP, linked below, for more details.
A CHC is defined as a health center located in Massachusetts, operated by an organization that meets the criteria to qualify as a Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a hospital-licensed health center, or an FQHC look-alike. All MA CHCs that meet the criteria to qualify as a Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a hospital-licensed health center, or an FQHC look-alike are eligible to apply for funding.
CHCs that serve diverse communities, rural communities, or are in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area are strongly encouraged to apply. PMHNP graduates will fulfill a 12-month service commitment. PMHNP students will have a semester-long commitment. CHCs may apply for more than one fellow placement.
The CHC must request slots with the understanding that the fellow must start work on-site as a PMHNP no later than July 1, 2025, in order for fellows to meet the 12-month service commitment.
All interested fellows (graduates and students) must submit applications through the UMass Chan GSN website to be considered. Applications are available at https://www.umassmed.edu/gsn/residences-and-fellowships/psych-mhnp/application/.
Fellowship Details
The fellowship offers CHCs the opportunity to expand their ability to attract and prepare skilled PMHNPs to provide community psychiatric and behavioral health services.
The fellowship offers graduates who have completed a PMHNP program, recently hired PMHNPs, and student registered nurses enrolled in a PMHNP program the opportunity to increase their knowledge and improve their skills while receiving support from preceptors and supporting clinicians at the CHC.
Core Fellowship Components
- Compensation for prescribing preceptors and non-prescribing preceptors supporting PMHNP fellows
- Salary, fringe, and incentives for graduate fellows supported by grant funding
- Stipends for student fellows supported by grant funding.
- Remote prescribing precepting support is available, if necessary.
- Didactics provided by UMass Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing.
Please send all questions to: pmhnpfellows@Massleague.org
Once the RFP is released, questions related to the RFP and CHC application will be accepted via email through September 13, 2024. All answers will be posted in the FAQs link below by September 20, 2024. All dates are subject to change so please check back!
General Fellowship questions can be submitted to pmhnpfellows@Massleague.org and will be posted and answered on this website in the FAQs link below on a rolling basis throughout the Fellowship.
If you encounter any issues with RFP submission, please email Emily Price at EPrice@massleague.org.
APPLICATION TIMELINE
**All dates are subject to change, so please check back!
| Event | Date/Time |
|---|---|
| Kick-off Informational Session | August 26, 2024 |
| Request for Proposals Released | August 28, 2024 |
| Request for Proposals Informational Webinar | September 5, 2024 |
| Deadline for Submission of Questions Related to RFP/CHC Application | September 13, 2024 |
| Posting of Answers to Questions | September 20, 2024 |
| Applications Due | September 30, 2024 |
| Notice of Acceptance (With Conditions) | Anticipated January 2025 |
| Fellowship Year Starts | Anticipated Start date no later than July 2025 |
