Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency

Through completion of the residency program, mental health nurse practitioner residents will acquire clinical experience in the management of various mental health conditions impacting our Veteran population, build on their diagnostic, psychiatric medication management and psychotherapy skills, and develop a strong skill set in interprofessional collaboration and Veteran-centric care.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to develop confident, practice-ready Mental Health Nurse Practitioners equipped with the knowledge and skills to address the specific needs of our nation’s Veterans in the VHA or community.

Application Deadline: March 3, 2025

Application materials may be emailed directly to kerri.keeler@va.gov. Official transcripts may be submitted via email or mailed to:

Kerri Keeler, Mental Health Clinic Mail Stop 136G Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital 200 Springs Road Bedford MA 01730

Kerri Keeler PMHNP-BC

Nurse Practioner

VA Bedford health care

Phone:

Email: kerri.keeler@va.gov

Eligibility and Application Information

Eligibility and Application Information

Applicant Qualifications:

Must be a U.S. citizen
Be a recent graduate of a master’s, post-master’s certificate, or doctoral-level Nurse Practitioner program accredited by CCNE or the ACEN within the past 12 months prior to program start date
Possess current national board certification as a PMHNP Across the Lifespan through ANCC or be eligible to sit for board examination
Possess a current, full active and unrestrictive registration as a registered nurse AND nurse practitioner in a state, commonwealth, or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, prior to the start of the NPR program (exceptions may be made for highly qualified candidates with later graduation dates)
Be serving in their first Nurse Practitioner role in the specialty area as the program focus (Mental Health)
Current BLS certification (must be maintained throughout the entirety of the program)
Proficient in written and spoken English
Background and security investigation required
Provide evidence or self-certification of satisfactory physical condition based on a physical examination in the past 12-months
Provide evidence or self-certification of up-to-date vaccinations for healthcare workers as recommended by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and VA https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/hcw.html
Random drug testing may be required

* June and July graduates may apply and will be considered, as long as graduation is before the program start date

Application Requirements

• Curriculum vitae (please include graduation date)

• Official graduate school transcripts

• Copy of RN license and current BLS (and APRN license and ANCC board certification if already obtained)

• Personal statement: maximum of two (2) pages: what personal, professional, educational, and clinical experiences have led you to choose nursing as a profession, and the role of a mental health nurse practitioner as a specialty practice? What are your goals and aspirations for this residency program and how do they fit with your early and long-term career goals?

• Three (3) letters of recommendation (one must be from a faculty member of graduate program) emailed directly from individual writing letter to Kerri.Keeler@va.gov or in sealed envelope

Application Deadline: March 3, 2025

Application Submission:

Application materials may be emailed directly to kerri.keeler@va.gov. Official transcripts may be submitted via email or mailed to:

Kerri Keeler, Mental Health Clinic Mail Stop 136G Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital 200 Springs Road Bedford MA 01730

Benefits

• Competitive stipend: As of AY 2023, stipend amount is : $87,095

• A comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, federal holidays, and health benefits

• Hiring preference for open positions at Veterans Health Administration following successful completion of the residency

Apply today!

Questions?

Please contact:

Kerri Keeler, PMHNP-BC

VA Bedford Healthcare System

Kerri.keeler@va.gov | 781-687-3897

Clinical Rotations and Experiences

Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Residency

Kerri Keeler, PMHNP-BC | Kerri.keeler@va.gov

Program Structure

This is a 12-month residency program with a fall cohort starting yearly in late August/early September. Fall 2024 start Date is to be determined, please contact program director for specific dates or questions pertaining to the year you are applying.

About VA Bedford

VA Bedford Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA New England Healthcare System. VA Bedford is an innovative care center within VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1), which includes medical centers and clinics in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

VA Bedford Healthcare System provides healthcare services at four locations serving Veterans in Middlesex and Essex counties in Massachusetts. Facilities include our Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Bedford, and three community-based outpatient clinics in Lynn, Haverhill, and Gloucester. The hospital sits on a large, beautifully wooded campus adjacent to walking trails and a golf course. Bedford is located in the cradle of the nation, with Lexington, Concord, and Boston close by.

Our mental health programs include vocational services, peer services, homeless services, and outpatient mental health services. Our mental health service line is a nationally recognized leader in the areas of psychosocial rehabilitation, research, and education.

Residency curriculum includes:

• Clinical rotations on interprofessional teams (80% of experience)

• Integrated and parallel didactics and education (20% of experience)

• Resident selected quality improvement project

Clinical rotations may include:

•Primary Care Behavioral Health

•Women’s Mental Health

•Behavioral Addictions

•Opioid Reassessment Clinic

•Interdisciplinary Pain Program

•Tobacco Cessation Clinic

•Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program for SMI

•Evidence-Based Psychotherapy

•Opportunities for additional specialty experience in: Mental Health Urgent Walk-in Clinic, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, further training in individual and group psychotherapies

Supervision and training:

•Regular interdisciplinary supervision with psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed independent clinical social workers

• Weekly group supervision with interdisciplinary mental health trainees facilitated by faculty members and monthly NP resident peer consultation meetings

• Training in evidence-based psychotherapy of choice with a weekly consultation seminar

• Grand and Schwartz rounds, VA trainings, and clinical case conferences. Opportunities for specialized trainings, including women’s reproductive mental health

•Weekly psychiatry journal clubs

•Regular psychiatry and psychotherapy didactics

• Opportunities for involvement in clinical research and individual and group psychotherapy

• Weekly interprofessional education seminars with interdisciplinary trainees

Applicant Qualifications:

Must be a U.S. citizen
Be a recent graduate of a master’s, post-master’s certificate, or doctoral-level Nurse Practitioner program accredited by CCNE or the ACEN within the past 12 months prior to program start date
Possess current national board certification as a PMHNP Across the Lifespan through ANCC or be eligible to sit for board examination
Possess a current, full active and unrestrictive registration as a registered nurse AND nurse practitioner in a state, commonwealth, or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, prior to the start of the NPR program (exceptions may be made for highly qualified candidates with later graduation dates)
Be serving in their first Nurse Practitioner role in the specialty area as the program focus (Mental Health)
Current BLS certification (must be maintained throughout the entirety of the program)
Proficient in written and spoken English
Background and security investigation required
Provide evidence or self-certification of satisfactory physical condition based on a physical examination in the past 12-months
Provide evidence or self-certification of up-to-date vaccinations for healthcare workers as recommended by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and VA https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/hcw.html
Random drug testing may be required

* June and July graduates may apply and will be considered, as long as graduation is before the program start date

Application Requirements

• Curriculum vitae (please include graduation date)

• Official graduate school transcripts

• Copy of RN license and current BLS (and APRN license and ANCC board certification if already obtained)

• Three (3) letters of recommendation (one must be from a faculty member of graduate program) emailed directly from individual writing letter to Kerri.Keeler@va.gov or in sealed envelope

Application Deadline: March 3, 2025

Application Submission:

Application materials may be emailed directly to kerri.keeler@va.gov. Official transcripts may be submitted via email or mailed to:

Kerri Keeler, Mental Health Clinic Mail Stop 136G Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital 200 Springs Road Bedford MA 01730

Benefits

• Competitive stipend: As of AY 2023, stipend amount is : $87,095

• A comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, federal holidays, and health benefits

• Hiring preference for open positions at Veterans Health Administration following successful completion of the residency

Apply today!

Questions?

Please contact:

Kerri Keeler, PMHNP-BC

Program Goals

Our program goals along with their expected outcomes are as follows: 1. Provide a twelve-month long supervised training program for new graduate psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners during their first year of practice a. Expected outcome: 75% of nurse practitioner residents will complete the full duration of the twelve-month long program, excluding health or family emergencies 2. Promote confidence in the role of a mental health nurse practitioner a. Expected outcome: Confidence in practice scores will increase for all enrolled residents from month one to month twelve of the program 3. Promote the development of both core and mental health specialty competency areas in advanced practice nursing through a combination of structured didactics, learning activities and diverse mental health clinical rotations a. Expected outcome: Nurse practitioner residents will meet competency benchmarks (receipt of at least an “advanced beginner” rating) in the majority of the performance criteria within each competency domain by the end of the program 4. Provide a training program that is enriched with opportunity for scholarly inquiry through mentorship of an evidence-based quality improvement project a. Expected outcome: Nurse practitioner residents will successfully develop and complete a quality improvement project individually or as team with other mental health trainees and present on the project to the interprofessional faculty committee, interprofessional trainee cohort, and key stakeholders by the end of the program 5. Produce graduates who are competent in the provision of effective interprofessional Veteran-centered mental health care through modeling effective collaborative interprofessional care, our deliberate use of multiple professions with unique and shared strengths and skills, and our study and sharing of interprofessional practice concepts a. Expected outcome: Nurse practitioner residents will demonstrate improvement in their self-assessments of competence in the majority of interprofessional competency domains from start to finish during their participation in the interprofessional education seminar series 6. Enhance the recruitment and retention of new graduate psychiatric nurse practitioners within the VA a. Expected outcome: 50% of nurse practitioner residents will apply for positions within VA following completion of the program