Nursing Field Experience:

6645 (PMHNP)

PRAC 6645: Psychotherapy With Multiple Modalities

• Types of Patients: Patients receiving care for psychiatric and substance-use disorders, across the lifespan, to include children, adolescents, adults, and older adults*
• Types of Services: Psychotherapy with each of the three populations to include individuals, groups, and families
• Possible Preceptor Choices: Licensed clinical social worker, license mental health counselor/professional counselor, licensed psychologist, other appropriately licensed mental health professionals if the license requires a minimum of a master’s degree in the area of mental health and the preceptor is licensed to practice independently (not supervised) and provide clinical psychotherapy services with multiple modalities.
  Note: Every state has different license categories for mental health professionals, so students should be aware of the different license categories in the state and verify the qualifications with the Office of Field Experience prior to nominating a preceptor if there are questions regarding the qualifications. The licensee must have completed supervised clinical experience as part of the requirements along with a master’s or doctoral degree in the area of practice within the field of mental health. 

Some state boards of nursing only allow for APRNs and/or MDs to serve as preceptors. We recommend students to check with their state board of nursing for requirements of preceptors (e.g. Alaska, Arizona, Pennsylvania, etc.). If a state board of nursing only allows for APRNs and/or MDs to be preceptors, PMHNP and Psychiatrists are permitted as preceptors ONLY if they provide psychotherapy and not supportive therapy with medication management.  Psychiatric evaluation and medication management sessions are not encounters permitted for this course. Psychotherapy practices must include multiple psychotherapy modalities under the definition of billable psychotherapy per Medicare guidelines. 

• Possible Site Choices: Psychiatric private practice; community psychiatric and/or counseling center; crisis center; drug/alcohol rehabilitation center; college counseling center; behavioral health employee assistance program (EAP) sites; assisted living/Alzheimer’s facility; psychiatric inpatient hospital or specialty psychiatric-/substance-use care facility; jails/prison under behavioral health treatment providers; long-term care; hospice; palliative care; or any other site where students have access to all three (individual, families, and groups), across the lifespan, for psychotherapy interventions (to be determined on an individual basis)*
• Nonacceptable Sites: Any form of community and/or home visits
• Nonacceptable Preceptors: PMHNP, Psychiatrist, FNP, AGACNP, AGPCNP or any other NP, PAs, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, or social workers that do not hold a valid state license to conduct clinical services for psychotherapy, Other nonacceptable preceptors include:  
  • No practitioners who are “spiritual” or “religious-based” counselors will NOT be permitted unless they possess a master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning and are licensed to provide psychotherapy services in their state 
  • No practitioners who have graduate-, associate-, or intern-level licenses are not acceptable preceptors because they are not practicing as unsupervised practitioners. If required to be supervised as part of their licensure requirement, they are not an acceptable preceptor. 

Note: No preceptors who are “spiritual” or “religious-based” counselors will be permitted unless they possess a master’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning and are licensed to provide psychotherapy services in their state.
Also Note: Practitioners who have graduate-, associate-, or intern-level licenses are not acceptable preceptors because they are not practicing as unsupervised practitioners. If required to be supervised as part of their licensure requirement, they are not an acceptable preceptor.

• Requirements: 160 hours; a minimum of 80 patient encounters are required (these are minimums, not maximums, you must log every hour and every patient encounter for PRAC for accountability and legal reasons) 
  Note: Of those minimum 80 encounters, students must see at least 5 pediatric patients, 5 adolescent patients, 5 adult patients, and 5 older adult patients. Students must be in a practicum setting for a minimum of 8 weeks to ensure varied learning experiences. 

No minimums are set for individuals, groups, and families sessions conducted but you must have experience documented with all three categories for individuals, groups and family sessions. 

*Students must be able to see patients across the lifespan to include children, adolescents, adults, and older adults AND all three individuals, families, and groups. (Ages for categories:  Children 0-12, Adolescents 13-17, Adults 18-64, and Older Adults 65+) If the primary preceptor only sees one age range or population, a secondary preceptor will be needed in order to complete the requirements for the PRAC/PRCM experiences. Sometimes this can be another provider in the same office as the primary preceptor. Or multiple sites may be required to see the types of patients and services required for this course. Students would need each preceptor and/or practicum site approved applications. 

• Preceptorship Prescreen Checklist