Vernetta Stewart, ARNP works as a psychiatric mental health consultant at Providence Everett Regional Medical Center (team includes two psychiatrists, two psychiatric N.P.s) performing mental health evaluations for patients with various co-morbidities including acute medical conditions, substance use disorders, and of course psychiatric components; prescribing psychotropic medications; advising medical providers; and making recommendations for treatment and disposition.
Ms. Stewart wishes to update her knowledge, including the use of alternative therapies on the most prevalent/effective clinical practices, psycho-pharmacotherapy, tele-psychiatry, and available community resources as well as the economic and political influences governing mental health services, especially with our underprivileged population.
Ms. Stewart’s long nursing career (as a staff RN and ARNP) has largely been centered in acute care settings in the Providence/Swedish systems and to a lesser degree in community mental health clinics. In the latter role, she has collaborated with PCPs, various agency case managers and clinicians, private practice psychiatric nurse practitioners, and of course patients’ families. There is much more to learn, however.
Ms. Stewart trusts participation in this program will facilitate her patients’ wellbeing in receiving the best treatment possible, especially upon being discharged back to the community which includes Everett and the outerlying rural areas.