The certificate program for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner specialty is an advanced nursing practice program. It prepares students to provide holistic, client-centered mental health care to individuals of all ages within traditional, nontraditional and culturally diverse families. It is designed for board-certified nurses in a different advanced practice registered nurse specialty area who seek additional certification as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and for doctorate-level nurses who seek to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. It emphasizes the assessment, diagnosis and evidence-based management of common and complex mental health disorders across the life span.

All programs are offered in a hybrid format requiring students to travel to an ASU campus for up to one week for orientation at the beginning of the program and two to three times per semester.

Core courses include pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology and advanced health assessment. Any deficiency courses determined by the student's unique gap analysis must have been completed in the past five years to be eligible for credit.

The program highlights valid and reliable tools for screening and identification of mental health disorders, as well as early interventions for these problems. Content for each disorder includes epidemiology, incidence, early signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, and sociocultural variations in evidence-based management and treatment. Management includes psychopharmacologic and therapeutic skills building that are based in motivational interviewing, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Individual, group and family therapy techniques are emphasized.

Focused clinical experiences are arranged for students residing in Maricopa County, Arizona. Students should expect to travel throughout Maricopa County and, in some cases, throughout Arizona to complete their assigned clinical placement.

Students residing outside of Maricopa County are responsible for identifying the required number of clinical sites in their area of residence and for identifying preceptors and sites willing to accommodate clinical rotations. Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation must approve these sites before students start any clinical experience; the doctoral program office does not guarantee a clinical placement site for any student outside Maricopa County. If, during the program, the faculty determines that the student needs additional supervision for clinical progress in the program, the student must complete clinical experiences in the Phoenix area.

The program offers practicum experiences (clinical rotations) in health profession shortage areas throughout the state, in both urban underserved and rural areas, which provide students with multicultural experiences to enhance professional development.

As a participating National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements member, ASU is authorized to offer distance education to persons located in individual state authorization reciprocity agreement member states in accordance with the council's established policies and standards. California is not a state authorization reciprocity agreement member, and the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education does not regulate out-of-state public institutions. ASU may offer educational activities in California. There are some exceptions for specific programs at Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation; these are noted on the ASU state authorization website.