The Department of Psychiatry at Iowa Health Care is now accepting applications on a rolling basis for a 1-year Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Fellowship in the University of Iowa Addiction and Recovery Collaborative (UI ARC). This program aims to increase the number of addiction medicine specialty-trained nurse practitioners and physician assistants, addressing the growing demand for behavioral health care services in underserved communities. Our goal is to train health professionals to deliver high-quality, integrated mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

This fellowship preferably runs from July until June of each year, but off-cycle applications and admissions are accepted. APP fellows are trained within a multidisciplinary team on inpatient and outpatient services alongside physician fellows in addiction medicine.

Fellowship Overview

During this one-year, full-time fellowship, the Advanced Practice Provider Fellow will gain expertise in:

• Managing substance intoxication and withdrawal.

• Medications for addiction treatment (MAT).

• Motivational enhancement therapy.

• Managing co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions.

• Harm reduction strategies.

• Counseling principles to support recovery.

Curriculum

The fellowship curriculum consists of 13 consecutive 4-week blocks, including the following clinical experiences:

• Iowa Health Care clinics including the MAT Clinic, MAT Walk-In Clinic, MAT Mobile Clinic, Supporting Opportunities and Achievements in Recovery (SOAR) Clinic in OB/GYN 

• Iowa Health Care inpatient services, including the Addiction Medicine Consult Service and the Psychiatry Consult Service.

• Iowa Health Care Dual Partial Hospitalization Program.

• Community sites, including the Abbe Community Mental Health Clinic, Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC), and the Heart of Iowa. 

• 2 blocks of elective rotations (e.g. toxicology, infectious diseases, crisis stabilization unit, inpatient psychiatry, child/adolescent psychiatry, dual diagnosis partial hospitalization program, or propose a new elective rotation).

• Weekly Iowa Health Care MAT Continuity Clinic at UI Health Care.

• Longitudinal leadership curriculum.

• Longitudinal quality improvement curriculum.

Responsibilities

• Conducting diagnostic evaluations.

• Providing therapeutic recommendations and developing treatment plans.

• Prescribing pharmacologic treatments.

• Act as a patient advocate.

• Participate in a quality improvement project.

Benefits

• Paid stipend of $100,000 annually.

• Comprehensive benefits package.

• Funded attendance at national and regional addiction medicine conferences.

• Financial support for approved educational resources such as books. 

Education, Licensing, and Certification Requirements

ARNPs

• A master’s degree is required. A master’s degree in nursing is preferred. If master’s degree is in a related field, a Baccalaureate degree in nursing is required.

• Current license to practice nursing in Iowa is required.

• Licensure as ARNP in state of Iowa is required by start date.

Physician Assistants

• Must comply with registration and licensure requirements as specified by the Iowa Board of

Physician Assistant Examiners which include graduation from an accredited PA educational program and/or certification by the NCCPA.

Application Process

• To be considered, applicants must email a letter of interest and resume (relevant to this recruitment).

• 3-5 professional references who will be contacted during the recruitment process..

• Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification.

• Email resume and letter of interest and reference this recruitment.