Learning Experiences and Didactics

Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Training and Consultation Seminar:

NP residents apply in September for an Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Seminar Program of their choosing and complete training specific to the evidence-based psychotherapy. Seminars include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders, and Commitment Therapy for Depression. NP residents are expected to follow a caseload of Veterans over the course of the program and provide psychotherapy in this modality. NP residents attend weekly consultation meetings with supervising co-facilitators of the consultation seminar.

Didactic Experiences:

Residents spend approximately eight hours weekly engaged in didactic and learning experiences. Residents may also have opportunities to participate in VA sponsored conferences. This past year, our residents were also funded to obtain the MGH Psychopharmacology annual conference in Boston.

Didactic Experiences include:

Psychiatry Didactics with focus on evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of various mental health disorders facilitated by PMHNP faculty

Monthly Psychotherapy Didactics facilitated by PCBH psychologist Dr. Anna Cassel covering a wide range of therapy modalities including ACT, CBT, mindfulness based approaches, exposure therapies, biofeedback, stress management and a focus on application of therapy skills to clinical practice

Weekly Evidence-Based Psychiatry Journal Club facilitated by a staff psychiatrist joining with psychiatry residents

Interprofessional Education Seminar: Residents join weekly with other interprofessional mental health trainees from psychology and social work to engage in experiential didactics related to key areas of effective interprofessional care

Grand and Schwartz Rounds, Case Conferences held during clinical team meetings

Weekly Group Supervision with interprofessional mental health trainees in Primary Care Behavioral Health facilitated by faculty members which includes case consultation, discussion of ethical and professional issues, and various educational presentations

Training in Women’s Reproductive Mental Health and opportunities for didactics with addictions psychiatry staff members