NEOMED’s new mental health master’s degree discussed on "Sound of Ideas"
NEOMED President John Langell, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., and Randon Welton, M.D., Margaret Clark Morgan Endowed chair and professor in psychiatry, joined host Mike McIntyre on Ideastream’s "Sound of Ideas" on Monday, August 18, to discuss the new Certified Mental Health Assistant program being developed by the University.
Dr. Langell explained the role of the certified mental health assistant (CMHA) as a physician extender, practicing at the same level as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner. “High quality healthcare involves a care team,” he explained. “It’s not just a physician; it’s an entire group of individuals with different levels of expertise that come in to ensure that the patient is getting the best possible care.”
👉 Learn more about the CMHA Program and complete this inquiry form for email updates.
Dr. Welton, who also serves as CMHA program director, is looking forward to launching the new master’s degree program.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to create a new way of doing mental health care.” he said. “It creates a matching of the severity and acuity of the patient’s problem with the training and experience of the provider.”
The two-year program includes 12-13 months of didactic and interactive learning, including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and other topics.
During the second year, students will be placed in clinical settings across the mental health spectrum, where they will get experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team under the leadership of a physician.
Listen: The Sound of Ideas
RELATED
- Learn more about the CMHA Program.
- Watch: NEOMED professor discusses future mental health degree that aims to address workforce shortage on WKYC-TV.