Find a Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has completed graduate-level education and obtained national certification in their specialty area. These healthcare professionals are trained to provide comprehensive care that often includes mental health assessment, treatment, and ongoing support. The NP role is consistent with Adult-Gerontology, Neonatal and Psychiatric Mental Health, and NP scope of practice is not setting-specific and is based on the needs of the patient.

Unlike physicians who specialize exclusively in psychiatry, many nurse practitioners integrate mental health care into their broader practice, making them particularly valuable for patients who need both physical and mental health support. This integrated approach is especially important given that mental health conditions often coexist with physical health problems.

Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

A primary care nurse practitioner serves as the first point of contact for many patients experiencing mental health concerns. These providers are trained to screen for common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, provide initial treatment for mild to moderate symptoms, and make referrals to specialists when needed. Primary care nurse practitioners often manage medications for common mental health conditions and provide ongoing monitoring and support.

The primary care setting is where many Americans first discuss their mental health concerns, making the primary care nurse practitioner's role crucial in early identification and intervention. These providers are particularly effective at addressing the interconnection between physical and mental health, recognizing how conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or chronic pain can impact mental wellbeing.

Family Nurse Practitioner

A family nurse practitioner provides care across the lifespan, from pediatric to geriatric patients, making them uniquely positioned to address mental health concerns within the family context. These providers understand how mental health issues can affect entire families and are skilled in providing age-appropriate mental health care for different developmental stages.

Family nurse practitioners are often the first to identify mental health concerns in children and adolescents, such as ADHD, anxiety, or behavioral disorders. They also address adult mental health issues including postpartum depression, grief counseling, and stress-related disorders. Their comprehensive training allows them to consider the family dynamics and social determinants that influence mental health outcomes.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

A pediatric nurse practitioner specializes in the unique mental health needs of children and adolescents. Research shows the important association between nurse practitioner scope-of-practice regulations and pediatric mental health service access. These providers are trained to recognize developmental and behavioral concerns, conduct age-appropriate mental health screenings, and provide treatment for common childhood mental health conditions.

Pediatric nurse practitioners work closely with families to address issues such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and behavioral challenges. They are skilled in using child-friendly assessment tools and therapeutic approaches that are developmentally appropriate. Many pediatric nurse practitioners also provide crisis intervention and work with school systems to support children's mental health needs.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

An acute care nurse practitioner works in hospital and emergency settings where mental health crises often present. These providers are trained to assess and manage psychiatric emergencies, including suicidal ideation, psychosis, substance abuse complications, and severe depression or anxiety that requires immediate intervention.

Acute care nurse practitioners play a critical role in mental health crisis stabilization and are often responsible for determining appropriate levels of care, coordinating with psychiatric specialists, and ensuring patient safety during acute mental health episodes. They also address the mental health needs of patients hospitalized for physical conditions, recognizing that illness and hospitalization can significantly impact psychological wellbeing.

The expansion of telehealth has revolutionized mental health care delivery, with nurse practitioner–led integrated care telehealth practice extending care to 66.7% of all counties. An online nurse practitioner or telehealth nurse practitioner provides mental health services through digital platforms, making care accessible to patients in remote areas or those with mobility limitations.

Telemental health, the use of telehealth technology to provide mental health and substance use services from a distance, has rapidly expanded over the past few years, with the COVID-19 public health emergency accelerating this expansion. These services include virtual consultations, medication management, therapy sessions, and ongoing mental health monitoring.

Telehealth nurse practitioners can provide many of the same services as in-person providers, including mental health assessments, diagnosis, treatment planning, medication prescribing and monitoring, and crisis intervention. This delivery method has proven particularly effective for routine follow-up appointments, medication management, and providing care to underserved populations.