California Psychiatric Education Capacity Expansion: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

916.326.3700
BHPrograms@HCAI.ca.gov

The California Psychiatric Education Capacity Expansion program provides funding to educational and/or medical institutions to develop and expand training programs for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students in California. The program seeks to increase the number of PMHNPs prepared to work with underserved populations, including those serving children and youth. Grants are awarded under two funding categories:

1. New PMHNP training program grants provide funding to offset the costs associated with achieving accreditation by June 30, 2027.
2. PMHNP expansion program grants support training programs that are permanently expanding the number of PMHNP student training positions through fiscal year 2027-2028. Programs may be two years in length per cohort.

Program activities include, but are not limited to:

• Adding PMHNP student slots to an existing PMHNP training program or creating a new training program for new PMHNP student slots
• Recruiting culturally and linguistically diverse PMHNP students that reflect the socio-demographic and other characteristics of underserved communities
• Providing training in how to deliver culturally competent and linguistically appropriate psychiatric care
• Increasing the number of training hours PMHNP students receive in underserved communities, focused on delivering services to children and youth through age 25 and their caregivers, as well as others at risk of chronic behavioral health conditions
• Modifying curriculum as necessary to incorporate PECE guiding principles
• Providing clinical supervision leading to national certification from the American Nurses Credentialing and/or American Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Encouraging PMHNP students to continue working in organizations that serve underserved communities after completing training requirements and receiving national certification

Eligible applicants for the New PMHNP training program grant are programs that have not yet received and will seek accreditation from either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation and approval from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN)

Eligible applicants for the PMHNP expansion program grant must have received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approval from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN)

Award ceiling:

• New PMHNP programs: Up to $1,000,000
• PMHNP expansion programs:
  • $100,000 for each filled first year position
  • $33,000 for each filled first year position in 1-year programs preparing NPs for PMHNP certification

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and online application are available on the program website.

Applicant webinar recording