Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) – Contract

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

Avery's House is seeking an experienced and compassionate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) to provide psychiatric services within our adolescent residential treatment programs. The primary focus of this role will be supporting adolescents in our neurodivergent mental health residential treatment program, serving youth with complex psychiatric, behavioral, developmental, and emotional needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete comprehensive psychiatric evaluations for clients upon admission and as clinically indicated.
• Assess, diagnose, and treat psychiatric and behavioral health conditions in adolescents.
• Provide ongoing psychopharmacologic assessment and medication management in collaboration with the Medical Director and treatment team.
• Monitor medication effectiveness, side effects, treatment response, and overall psychiatric stability.
• Develop and update individualized psychiatric treatment plans based on each client's presentation, needs, strengths, and treatment goals.
• Provide psychiatric care for neurodivergent adolescents, including clients who may present with co-occurring psychiatric, behavioral, developmental, or emotional needs.
• Respond to acute psychiatric concerns and changes in client presentation in a clinically appropriate and timely manner.
• Collaborate closely with nursing, medical, clinical, therapy, and residential teams to coordinate care for clients with complex needs.
• Participate in multidisciplinary treatment planning and provide psychiatric consultation to the treatment team as appropriate.
• Provide education and clinical guidance to nursing and treatment staff regarding psychiatric diagnoses, medications, behavioral health concerns, and relevant client-specific needs.
• Communicate effectively with parents, guardians, and other authorized members of the client's care team when appropriate.
• Complete psychiatric documentation, medication orders, and other required clinical records accurately and within established timelines.
• Support preventative mental health care, emotional regulation, stabilization, and developmentally appropriate treatment approaches.
• Maintain care in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations, professional standards, organizational policies, and the PMHNP's scope of practice.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
• Graduate of an accredited Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program.
• Current and unrestricted Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license in the state(s) in which services are provided, or eligibility to obtain required licensure.
• Current national certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC).
• Current prescriptive authority and DEA registration, as applicable to the role and state requirements.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary behavioral health treatment environment.
• Strong clinical judgment, communication, documentation, and care coordination skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two or more years of experience practicing as a PMHNP.
• Experience providing psychiatric care to adolescents ages 12–17.
• Experience working in residential treatment, intensive behavioral health, or another higher-acuity psychiatric setting.
• Experience working with neurodivergent youth, including adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, executive functioning differences, sensory needs, or other developmental and psychiatric complexities.
• Experience managing complex psychiatric presentations and psychotropic medication regimens.
• Experience collaborating with families and multidisciplinary treatment teams.
• Mental health and/or substance use treatment experience.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a provider who combines strong psychiatric expertise with curiosity, flexibility, and respect for neurodivergent adolescents. The successful candidate understands that effective psychiatric treatment is not one-size-fits-all and is comfortable adapting assessment, communication, and treatment approaches to the individual needs of each client. The PMHNP should be collaborative and responsive, with the ability to work…