Psych Congress, in collaboration with the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), will deliver top-tier learning for psych, psych-minded PAs in 2025.
Psych Congress PA Institute is organized by Psych Congress, the leading provider of practical psychopharmacology education. In collaboration with the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the inaugural Psych Congress PA Institute will deliver an agenda packed with evidence-based research that will provide psychiatric-and psych-minded PAs with indispensable skills, knowledge and strategies essential to their clinical practice.
As psychiatry continues to emerge as a critical specialty for PAs, the Psych Congress PA Institute will help address the growing demand for mental health professionals. According to recent data from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, 55-63% of PAs regularly treat patients needing mental health care, while 64% report screening for mental health concerns in their practices daily. The growing recognition of the mental health crisis underscores the need for more specialized training for PAs who are integral to patient care.
“With mental health issues becoming increasingly prevalent, the role of physician associates in providing effective psychiatric care is more important than ever,” said Psych Congress PA Institute Co-Chair Kevin Williams, MS, MPAS, PA-C. “This event is designed to empower PAs with the education and tools they need to better serve their patients.”
Representing a profession of more than 178,700 physician associates/assistants, the AAPA advocates and educates on behalf of the profession and the patients that PAs serve.
“Expanded access to mental healthcare continues to be a dire need in communities all across the country, and PAs are deeply committed to doing their part to ensure patients receive the care, treatment, and ongoing support they need,” said AAPA CEO Lisa M. Gables, CPA. “AAPA is excited to partner with the Psych Congress PA Institute to develop a program that will further the PA workforce’s knowledge and skills in this critical area of patient need.”
Educational Program
The Psych Congress PA Institute’s three-day educational program will cover fundamental topics including pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and innovative approaches to psychiatric care, ensuring attendees leave with a comprehensive understanding of mental health management.
Joining Kevin Williams as co-chairs are Michael Asbach, DMSc, PA-C, Psych-CAQ, associate director of interventional psychiatry at DENT Neurologic Institute in New York; Erin Crown, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry, a board-certified physician assistant and the managing member of Oasis LifeCare in State College, Pennsylvania; Mercedes Dodge, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry, president of PAVMT Virtual Medicine; and James Somers, PA-C, DHSc, DFAAPA, owner and clinician at Nevada Family Psychiatry in Las Vegas.
Sessions will be led by more than 15 expert faculty presenters. Hundreds of psychiatric and primary care physician associates are expected to attend.
For more information or to register, visit the Psych Congress PA Institute website.
About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
AAPA is the national membership organization for all physician associates/physician assistants (PAs). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
About HMP Global
HMP Global is the omnichannel market leader in healthcare events, education, and insight — with a mission to improve patient care. For 40 years, the company has built trusted brands including Psych Congress, the premier source for mental health education, and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. HMP Global partners with leading experts around the world to deliver more than 450 annual events, medical strategy, and marketing for pharmaceutical and medical device customers through HMP Collective, and pharmaceutical market insight, engaging a global community of healthcare stakeholders that includes nearly 2 million clinicians across 600 medical specialties as well as managed care, behavioral health, senior living, emergency medical, and pharmaceutical commercialization professionals. For more information, follow HMP Global on LinkedIn or visit hmpglobal.com.
Sandi Beason, APR
HMP Global
pr@hmpglobal.com
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