Announcing the new APNA Transitions in Practice Certificate
The APNA Transitions in Practice is a new online certificate program delivering the latest evidence-based knowledge and skills crucial to providing psychiatric-mental health nursing care. It’s packed with engaging presenter videos, interactive quizzes, and case scenarios. Discover ATP & Register!

Renew your membership early to keep saving!
In light of steadily increasing costs, the APNA Board of Directors recognizes the need to raise APNA membership dues starting in July. To help ease the transition, members can renew early to secure a year — or up to 3 years! — of membership at current rates before the increase takes effect. Get your savings

The APNA Suicide Prevention Certificate: Now 100 percent on demand
With this updated certificate program, find nursing knowledge and best practices developed by experts to improve the skills, attitudes, and critical thinking of psychiatric-mental health nurses caring for persons at risk for suicide. Take me to the program

CPI is cutting edge, patient-centered, and invaluable
Earn up to 22.25 contact hours at the APNA 22nd Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute in June and discover the latest evidence-based approaches you can apply right away to your practice. Secure your space today

Apply today for an APNA Research Grant
APNA is accepting proposals for APNA Research Grants through Tuesday, May 7. These awards are to help psychiatric nurse investigators in their scholarly careers. They range from $1,000-$10,000 per award. Students conducting a thesis, dissertation, or capstone project can apply.  Support your research

Good news to share? Be featured in APNA Member News!
Have you been featured in an article, received an award, been noticed for your research and scholarship, or have another exciting achievement? Share your stories with APNA News

A National Institute of Mental Heath Request for Information (RFI) invites input on identifying and addressing gaps in the impact of structural racism on brain, cognitive (such as learning, memory, attention, decision-making), and behavioral function across the lifespan and the role of structural and systemic racism on the conduct of brain and behavioral health research. This RFI seeks input from healthcare providers, scientific research communities, patient advocacy groups, people with lived experience of brain or behavioral health disorders (such as substance use and mental health disorders), educators, and other interested parties. Click here to submit a response.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Rejoyn (CT-152), the first prescription digital therapeutic authorized for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms as an adjunct to clinician-managed outpatient care for adult patients with MDD aged 22 years and older who are on antidepressant medication. Rejoyn is a medical device with a novel approach to management of symptoms of depression. Rejoyn offers a 6-week treatment program with clinically-proven cognitive emotional training exercises for the brain, along with short therapeutic lessons. It is theorized to target the neural networks affected by depression and potentially use the brain’s inherent neuroplasticity to alter emotional connections, thus leading to a reduction in symptoms over time, reported Psychiatric Times. Full Story

A new APA report—Behavioral Health Parity—Pervasive Disparities in Access to In-Network Care Continue—found that patients were 10.6 times more likely to go out of network to find psychological care than to find specialty medical care. (High out of network use is a key indicator that a network does not meet patients’ needs, and that professionals are available beyond the network.) The report also found that lower reimbursement for mental health providers was a major cause of inadequacy for mental health networks. The report stresses this access problem is not due to a shortage of providers, but a shortage of in-network providers. Full Story

A recent Nurse.com article examines what it means to have peer support in nursing, and why these relationships matter. Full Story

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the marketing of Risvan® (Risperidone ISM®) for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. Risperidone ISM® is a prolonged-release injectable antipsychotic developed and patented by ROVI for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, which, as of the first injection, provides immediate and sustained plasmatic drug levels and does not require loading doses or supplementation with oral risperidone. Full Story

Psychiatric hospitals and community mental health centers (CMHCs) often work independently in their efforts to meet patients’ needs. Butler Hospital decided to break down these silos by forging a close and cooperative relationship with a CMHC — The Providence Center. In recent podcast, Mary Marran, president and CEO of Butler Hospital, describes how the enhanced partnership between the two mental health service providers has made a big difference in coordinating services and resources for their patients. Listen to the podcast

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates for the Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2025. CMS is publishing this proposed rule consistent with the legal requirements to update Medicare payment policies for IPFs on an annual basis. Changes included in this proposed rule would support the provision of high-quality behavioral health treatment in inpatient psychiatric facilities, consistent with the Biden Administration’s Unity Agenda and focus on addressing the mental health crisis. Full Story

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Act 4 of 2024 into law, which creates a licensure opportunity for qualified individuals who have not yet met all the requirements for a full marriage and family therapist or professional counselor license. Associate licensees will be able to provide mental health support and receive insurance reimbursement, while practicing under the supervision of a licensed supervisor. Once these individuals complete their required hours of supervised clinical experience, they will be eligible for the full license and, thus, independent practice. Full Story

The American Nurses Association (ANA) submitted a sign-on letter, with the support of numerous nursing affiliates and partner associations, including APNA, to leaders of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) urging them to immediately release their proposed workplace prevention standard. Full Story

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released an evidence-informed and actionable guide for the nation’s hospital leaders to improve healthcare worker well-being – Impact Wellbeing™ Guide: Taking Action to Improve Healthcare Worker Wellbeing. This Guide is the newest addition to the Impact Well-being™ Campaign and provides a step-by-step process for hospitals to start making organizational-level changes that will impact and improve the mental health of their employees. Full Story

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced a new report with core curriculum content for integration of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for early-career graduate healthcare education programs. The Core Curriculum Elements on Substance Use Disorder for Early Academic Career, Medical and Health Professions Education Programs report is based on work SAMHSA conducted on core training elements developed in response to the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, and incorporates recommendations from experts in healthcare education. Full Story

Click here to see letters APNA has signed on to as a part of its participation in coalitions that further policy for nursing and mental health.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.