Find a Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has completed graduate-level education and obtained national certification in their specialty area. These healthcare professionals are trained to provide comprehensive care that often includes mental health assessment, treatment, and ongoing support. The NP role is consistent with Adult-Gerontology, Neonatal and Psychiatric Mental Health, and NP scope of practice is not setting-specific and is based on the needs of the patient.

Unlike physicians who specialize exclusively in psychiatry, many nurse practitioners integrate mental health care into their broader practice, making them particularly valuable for patients who need both physical and mental health support. This integrated approach is especially important given that mental health conditions often coexist with physical health problems.

Primary Care Nurse Practitioner

A primary care nurse practitioner serves as the first point of contact for many patients experiencing mental health concerns. These providers are trained to screen for common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, provide initial treatment for mild to moderate symptoms, and make referrals to specialists when needed. Primary care nurse practitioners often manage medications for common mental health conditions and provide ongoing monitoring and support.

The primary care setting is where many Americans first discuss their mental health concerns, making the primary care nurse practitioner's role crucial in early identification and intervention. These providers are particularly effective at addressing the interconnection between physical and mental health, recognizing how conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or chronic pain can impact mental wellbeing.

Family Nurse Practitioner

A family nurse practitioner provides care across the lifespan, from pediatric to geriatric patients, making them uniquely positioned to address mental health concerns within the family context. These providers understand how mental health issues can affect entire families and are skilled in providing age-appropriate mental health care for different developmental stages.

Family nurse practitioners are often the first to identify mental health concerns in children and adolescents, such as ADHD, anxiety, or behavioral disorders. They also address adult mental health issues including postpartum depression, grief counseling, and stress-related disorders. Their comprehensive training allows them to consider the family dynamics and social determinants that influence mental health outcomes.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

A pediatric nurse practitioner specializes in the unique mental health needs of children and adolescents. Research shows the important association between nurse practitioner scope-of-practice regulations and pediatric mental health service access. These providers are trained to recognize developmental and behavioral concerns, conduct age-appropriate mental health screenings, and provide treatment for common childhood mental health conditions.

Pediatric nurse practitioners work closely with families to address issues such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and behavioral challenges. They are skilled in using child-friendly assessment tools and therapeutic approaches that are developmentally appropriate. Many pediatric nurse practitioners also provide crisis intervention and work with school systems to support children's mental health needs.

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

An acute care nurse practitioner works in hospital and emergency settings where mental health crises often present. These providers are trained to assess and manage psychiatric emergencies, including suicidal ideation, psychosis, substance abuse complications, and severe depression or anxiety that requires immediate intervention.

Acute care nurse practitioners play a critical role in mental health crisis stabilization and are often responsible for determining appropriate levels of care, coordinating with psychiatric specialists, and ensuring patient safety during acute mental health episodes. They also address the mental health needs of patients hospitalized for physical conditions, recognizing that illness and hospitalization can significantly impact psychological wellbeing.

The expansion of telehealth has revolutionized mental health care delivery, with nurse practitioner–led integrated care telehealth practice extending care to 66.7% of all counties. An online nurse practitioner or telehealth nurse practitioner provides mental health services through digital platforms, making care accessible to patients in remote areas or those with mobility limitations.

Telemental health, the use of telehealth technology to provide mental health and substance use services from a distance, has rapidly expanded over the past few years, with the COVID-19 public health emergency accelerating this expansion. These services include virtual consultations, medication management, therapy sessions, and ongoing mental health monitoring.

Telehealth nurse practitioners can provide many of the same services as in-person providers, including mental health assessments, diagnosis, treatment planning, medication prescribing and monitoring, and crisis intervention. This delivery method has proven particularly effective for routine follow-up appointments, medication management, and providing care to underserved populations.

While this article focuses on non-psychiatric nurse practitioners, it's important to understand the distinction. A psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) is a specialist who has completed advanced training specifically in mental health and psychiatric care. A PMHNP's scope of practice involves patient assessment, diagnosis, planning, treatment, and evaluation—and may be ongoing for months or even years.

PMHNPs are the nurse practitioner specialists in mental health, while other types of nurse practitioners integrate mental health care into their broader practice. Both roles are essential in addressing the mental health needs of communities, with PMHNPs handling more complex psychiatric conditions and other nurse practitioners managing common mental health concerns within their scope of practice.

Nurse practitioners provide a wide range of mental health services, depending on their specialty and state regulations. These services typically include:

Assessment and Screening: Comprehensive mental health evaluations, including screening for depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, and other common mental health conditions. Nurse practitioners use standardized assessment tools and clinical interviews to identify mental health concerns.

Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: Based on their assessment, nurse practitioners can diagnose mental health conditions and develop comprehensive treatment plans that may include medication, therapy referrals, lifestyle modifications, and ongoing monitoring.

Medication Management: Many nurse practitioners are authorized to prescribe and manage psychiatric medications, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and other psychotropic drugs. They monitor patients for effectiveness and side effects, adjusting treatments as needed.

Counseling and Therapy: While not all nurse practitioners are trained as therapists, many provide supportive counseling, brief intervention strategies, and psychoeducation to help patients manage their mental health conditions.

Crisis Intervention: Nurse practitioners are trained to assess and manage mental health crises, including suicidal ideation, severe depression, and anxiety attacks. They can provide immediate stabilization and coordinate with other healthcare providers for ongoing care.

Preventive Care: Nurse practitioners focus on prevention and early intervention, identifying risk factors for mental health conditions and providing education and resources to prevent more serious problems from developing.

The scope of practice for nurse practitioners varies significantly across states, which directly impacts their ability to provide mental health services. These differences affect both the services available to patients and how to find a nurse practitioner in your area.

• Full Practice Authority States: In states with full practice authority, nurse practitioners can practice independently without physician oversight. This includes the ability to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications for mental health conditions within their scope of practice. States like Arizona, Colorado, and Washington have full practice authority, allowing nurse practitioners greater autonomy in providing mental health care.
• Restricted Practice States: Some states require nurse practitioners to have collaborative agreements with physicians or work under physician supervision. This can limit their ability to provide certain mental health services independently and may affect patient access to care.
• Prescriptive Authority Variations: The ability to prescribe psychiatric medications varies by state. Some states allow nurse practitioners full prescriptive authority for all medications, while others have restrictions on controlled substances or require additional oversight for psychiatric medications.
• Telehealth Regulations: Medicare patients can receive telehealth services for non-behavioral/mental health care in their home through September 30, 2025, with no geographic restrictions for originating site for Medicare non-behavioral/mental telehealth services. However, state regulations for telehealth vary, affecting how online nurse practitioners and telehealth nurse practitioners can serve patients across state lines.

When seeking mental health care from a nurse practitioner, consider these steps to find the right provider:

• Start with Your Primary Care Provider: If you already have a primary care nurse practitioner or family nurse practitioner, discuss your mental health concerns with them first. They may be able to provide initial treatment or refer you to appropriate specialists.
• Use Professional Directories: The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) provides an online directory to find a nurse practitioner in your area. You can search by specialty, location, and services provided.
• Check with Your Insurance: Contact your insurance provider to find covered nurse practitioners in your area who provide mental health services. This ensures you understand your out-of-pocket costs before beginning treatment.
• Consider Telehealth Options: If local options are limited, explore telehealth nurse practitioner services. Many platforms now offer mental health care through licensed nurse practitioners who can provide services remotely.
• Ask About Specialties: When contacting providers, ask about their experience with mental health care, what conditions they commonly treat, and whether they prescribe medications for mental health conditions.
• Verify Credentials: Ensure any nurse practitioner you consider is properly licensed in your state and has current certification in their specialty area.

Your first visit with a nurse practitioner for mental health care will typically include a comprehensive assessment of your mental health history, current symptoms, medications, and how your mental health affects your daily life. The provider will likely ask about:

• Your current symptoms and how long you've experienced them
• Previous mental health treatment and medications
• Family history of mental health conditions
• Current stressors and life circumstances
• Physical health conditions that might impact mental health
• Substance use history
• Social support systems

Based on this assessment, the nurse practitioner will work with you to develop a treatment plan that might include medication, lifestyle changes, therapy referrals, or other interventions appropriate for your needs.