Weber State launches new program with emphasis on mental health
Jan 22, 2025, 3:45 PM | Updated: 4:14 pm
Nursing student Whitney Weston works out a few mathematical problems as she and other students go about their work in the simulation lab in the Marriott Health Building at Weber State University in Ogden on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. (Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Weber State University recently launched a new program it said will address “a growing need for mental health professionals in Utah.”
Doctor of Nursing Practice students now have the chance to pursue their degrees with an emphasis on becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
DNP Program Director and associate professor Carrie Jeffrey said mental health issues in Utah have worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our clinical partners and our communities are really needing more practitioners, more providers, more resources to address mental health issues,” Jeffrey told Utah’s Noon News.
As a result, Weber State’s clinical partners asked for this new program to help increase the providers supply.
“The nice thing about nurse practitioners, specifically those in psychiatric mental health nursing, is that they can provide both psychotherapy and then they can also do med management,” Jeffrey said. “It’s a really cost-effective way for healthcare entities to be able to expand their mental health care offerings.”
Graduates of the program should have an easy time finding a job in the state.
Jeffrey said many of the major healthcare organizations in Utah are in need of providers who specialize in mental health.
“If you were to do a search right now on any job board for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, you’ll find 20 plus today here in Utah.”
Find more information about the new program on Weber State’s website.
Related: Weber State leads the nation in high schoolers taking concurrent enrollment classes
