Behavioral Health

Atrium Health takes pride in being recognized as the most comprehensive behavioral healthcare provider in the region. Our comprehensive team of providers delivers services across a continuum of care to include emergency services, inpatient care, intensive outpatient programs, outpatient therapies, virtual care, primary care, education and community outreach.

Comprehensive Post-Graduate Approach

The Advanced Practice Provider (APP)  Behavioral Health Fellowship program is a 12-month intensive training program developed to prepare nurse practitioners and physician assistants with the advanced skill sets necessary to provide an optimum level of care to patients with a variety of psychiatric conditions. The program is intended for both certified psychiatric nurse practitioner and physician assistant graduates, with separate curricula models to accommodate credential and educational background. The fellowship experience is comprised of innovative didactic education, simulation training, case presentations and team learning discussions. Fellows benefit from an exposure to a variety of clinical settings including inpatient, outpatient, emergency department and consult liaison services throughout the many Atrium Health psychiatric facilities in and around Charlotte. Fellows in this specialty also receive training in the areas of telepsychiatry and behavioral health integration into the primary care setting, advancing them one step above the traditional behavioral health practitioner.

Collaboration with Behavioral Health Locations

With over 70 psychiatrists and 25 APPs, the expanding Department of Psychiatry provides fellows a specialized and exciting opportunity to gain hands-on clinical experience in conjunction with the support and guidance from a cutting-edge team of expert behavioral health providers. With more than 10 behavioral health locations offering 24-hour access to care across the Carolinas, fellows are immersed in integrated teams made up of a network of professionals including physicians, doctoral and masters prepared mental health professionals, substance use disorder specialists, pharmacists, registered nurses, social workers, recreational therapists, psychiatric technicians, peer specialists and health coaches.

Learn more about behavioral health.

Fellowship Objectives

• Clinical assessment
• Plan of care
• Implementation of treatment
• Provider-patient relationship
• Teaching and coaching patients
• Professional and ethical practice
• Cultural competence
• Psychopharmacology
• Psychotherapy
• Multidisciplinary practice

12-Week Rotations

• Inpatient psychiatry
• Outpatient psychiatry
• Emergency psychiatry
• Consult liaison psychiatry

Clinical Proficiencies

• Conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluation
• Utilize effective clinical interviewing skills
• Order and interpret findings of diagnostics and tests
• Evaluate potential abuse, neglect or risk of danger
• Develop treatment plans using biopsychological theories
• Prescribe psychotropic and related medications
• Identify, measure and monitor outcomes
• Cultivate therapeutic communication skills
• Provide psychoeducation to patients, families and groups
• Recognize and develop understanding of cultural diversity