Nurse Practitioner - Behavioral Health

Nurse Practitioner - Behavioral Health

The Pediatric Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) is an advanced practice provider specializing in the medication management of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. This role focuses primarily on evaluating, prescribing, and monitoring psychotropic medications as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. The PMHNP works closely with families and multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe, effective, and developmentally appropriate pharmacological care.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct psychiatric evaluations with a focus on identifying psychiatric conditions that may benefit from pharmacologic treatment.
• Diagnose mental health disorders in children and adolescents using DSM-5 criteria.
• Initiate, adjust, and manage psychotropic medications based on current evidence-based guidelines.
• Monitor and document medication effectiveness, side effects, and adherence through regular follow-up appointments.
• Order and interpret labs or other diagnostics to ensure medication safety (e.g., metabolic panels, EKGs, etc when indicated).
• Provide clear, age-appropriate education to patients and families about medication use, risks, benefits, and expected outcomes.
• Collaborate with therapists, pediatricians, and school personnel as needed to support comprehensive care.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical documentation in the EMR system.
• Adhere to state and federal regulations for prescribing, including controlled substances.
• Partner with patient, family, and educators to ensure behavioral management of symptoms.

• Expertise in pediatric psychopharmacology.
• Strong communication skills for educating families and collaborating with other members of the treatment team.
• Clinical decision-making and risk assessment related to medication use.

Skills:

• Expertise in pediatric psychopharmacology.
• Strong communication skills for educating families and collaborating with other members of the treatment team.
• Clinical decision-making and risk assessment related to medication use.

Education/certifications:

• Education: Master's or Doctorate degree in Nursing with a psychiatric/mental health focus.
• Licensure: Active RN and APRN license with PMHNP-BC certification in Kentucky and Indiana
• Prescriptive Authority: DEA license and state-level authority to prescribe Schedule II-V medications.

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