Employing Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to Provide Access to Care as the Psychiatrist Shortage Continues

Despite efforts by the US government to provide more individuals with health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, access to mental health services and treatment continues to be inadequate as a result of variables including the shortage of psychiatrists, limited reimbursement for psychiatry as compared with other specialties, and limited exposure to and training in mental health for advanced practice providers (APPs). Alternative strategies to address this shortage of psychiatrists and increase access to mental health care need to be identified. The IOM [8] formulated a discussion paper, “Core Principles and Values of Effective Team-Based Health Care,” which articulates the need for clear expectations and delineation of roles for a team to function effectively and efficiently to provide high-quality patient care. Three creative programs are described in this issue and provide blueprints for potential expansion of APP roles in psychiatric and mental health services.