CMHA program provides innovative solution to psychiatry shortage
In January 2025, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed SB 95 into law, creating a new profession proposed by NEOMED: the certified mental health assistant (CMHA).
Since then, a team led by Randon Welton, M.D., Margaret Clark Morgan Endowed chair and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and director of the new CMHA program, has been hard at work developing and refining the curriculum and other program details with input from the Ohio State Medical Association and the Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association.
NEOMED is also expanding relationships with clinical partners and ensuring the first class of students, who are expected to begin in July 2026, have opportunities for clinical rotations and job placement.
NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS
According to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration, by 2037 Ohio is projected to have only 35% of the psychiatrists it needs to meet the increasing demand for mental health services. Retirements and decades of low interest in psychiatric training have reduced the pool of psychiatrists. At the same time, the state has seen an increase in diagnoses of mental illness, substance use disorders and overdose deaths.
Traditional fixes, such as training more psychiatrists, expanding psychiatric nurse practitioner and physician assistant roles, and asking primary care providers to do more, haven’t been enough to meet the growing need.
Fewer than 7% of physician assistants and nurse practitioners choose to train in psychiatry, and those professionals may opt to work in a state where they would enjoy more autonomy in their practice. Primary care physicians already report high levels of burnout and are often undertrained in mental health care. And training psychiatrists is expensive and takes time.
“Training a psychiatrist takes four years after medical school,” noted Dr. Welton. “It also costs about $100,000 per year per resident. So you have to sink about $400,000 into training one psychiatrist.”
FILLING THE GAP
The CMHA program is designed to fill the gap. The two-year master's-level program will provide focused training on mental health and more specifically on medication management of mental illness and substance use disorders.
The CMHA model is inspired by the certified anesthesiologist assistant model, that is, non-physician professionals who provide focused care with physician supervision.
CMHA students will experience a tightly focused curriculum, learning only what is essential for managing psychiatric medications. In contrast to traditional training, which covers broad medical knowledge regardless of future specialty, CMHA education will be streamlined for maximum relevance.
For instance, CMHA students will participate in anatomy, pathology, physiology and neuroanatomy training as they relate to mental illness and substance use disorders.
“What do I need to know about the kidney as a psychiatrist?” Dr. Welton asked, to illustrate curricular focus. “I need to know where it is. I need to know the labs that you use to measure function. I need to know that a malfunctioning kidney can cause depression or delirium. I need to know which medications affect the kidney. Lithium, for example, can damage the kidney. I need to know that, and which medications affect lithium levels in the blood. I need to know how to monitor it using those labs. That's about all I need to know about the kidney.”
In the first year, students will complete intensive classroom training. During the second year, students will be placed in clinical settings, including inpatient psychiatric units, outpatient clinics and substance use treatment centers. They will be trained to use clinical practice guidelines and treatment algorithms, ensuring safe, evidence-based care. Student assessment will focus on oral exams and practical decision making, rather than rote memorization.
A MODEL FOR OTHERS
Dr. Welton noted that other universities in the state are keeping an eye on the NEOMED program, which will serve as a model for others. He also noted that other states have expressed interest in the Ohio program.
Learn more about the CMHA program