Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Director

Westfield State University; Westfield (MA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Tuition Waivers

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Westfield State University invites applications for the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Director and tenure-track Associate Professor. The role includes academic leadership of the PMHNP program, overseeing curriculum, accreditation readiness, and collaboration with clinical partners to advance behavioral health education.

The successful candidate will hold a doctoral degree in nursing, PMHNP certification, and Massachusetts RN/APRN licensure with prior academic leadership

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited PMHNP Program.
• Doctoral degree in nursing (DNP/PhD or equivalent) or enrolled in doctoral program.
• Current PMHNP certification.
• Massachusetts RN/APRN licensure or eligibility.
• Minimum two years academic experience and three years clinical practice in PMH.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and data management systems.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion commitment.

Responsibilities

• Direct PMHNP program operations and curriculum oversight.
• Develop and maintain CCNE/NONPF-aligned curriculum.
• Supervise full- and part-time PMHNP faculty and staff.
• Lead hiring and onboarding of new program personnel.
• Collaborate with clinical partners to ensure student outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Data management

Microsoft Office

Education

Doctoral degree in nursing

PMHNP program graduate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Data management systems

Job description

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Director& Associate Professor-Tenure Track

Campus Title: Psychiatric Mental Health NursePractitioner (PMHNP) Program Director & Tenure-TrackFaculty

State Job Title: Associate Professor /Tenure-Track

Department: Nursing

Job Code: HA3100

FLSA Status: Exempt

Funding: 7107-0029

Bargaining Unit: MSCA

Job Type: Full-time Permanent

Timeframe: Academic Year plus additional weeks inProgram Director role

Shift: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Regular Days Off: Saturday and Sunday

Supervision Received: Reports to the Chair,Department of Nursing and Dean of Graduate and ContinuingEducation

Supervision Exercised: All full-time and part-timePMHNP Program faculty, staff, and guest lecturers

Salary: $105,000 to $120,000 annually(commensurate with education and experience), plus an additionalsummer stipend

Position Structure and Compensation

This is a tenure-track faculty appointment at the AssociateProfessor level, with a 39-week academic year salary ranging from$105,000 to $120,000.

The position includes service in an additional PMHNP ProgramDirector role. The Program Director component is a separateadministrative appointment, compensated through a summer stipend inthe range of $10,500 to $12,000 for employment outside the academicyear.

While the University anticipates that the selected candidate willserve in both capacities beyond the first year, the ProgramDirector role is not a permanent or required component of thefaculty appointment and is subject to annual renewal.

Faculty assigned to the Program Director role will receive areduced teaching load during the academic year to supportadministrative responsibilities. Should the Program Directorappointment conclude, responsibilities will revert fully to thestandard faculty role.

About the PMHNP Program

Westfield State University's Nursing program includes a traditionalfour-year pre-licensure pathway, an RN to BSN completion program,and a newly launched Concurrent RN to BSN program--the first of itskind in Massachusetts. The program has been recognized as a NursingCollege of Distinction in demonstrating consistent outcomes such asNCLEX pass rates well above the national average. Faculty aretenure-track and represented by the Massachusetts State CollegeAssociation (MSCA). The University offers comprehensive benefitsand requires faculty participation in teaching, scholarship, andservice.

Job Summary

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program Directorprovides leadership for the PMHNP program and is responsible foracademic quality, regulatory compliance, accreditation preparation,curriculum innovation, faculty development, student success, andstrategic program growth. The Director collaborates extensivelywith clinical and community partners to advance behavioral healthworkforce development while ensuring graduates are prepared to meetthe evolving mental health needs of diverse populations.

REQUIREMENTS:

PMHNP Program Director Responsibilities (AdministrativeOversight)

Administrative Leadership

• Direct all daily operations of the PMHNP Program.
• Manage program budgets, data systems, and strategicplanning.
• Convene and lead regular faculty and staff meetings.
• Monitor student advising and academic support systems.

Curriculum and Program Oversight

• Develop and maintain curriculum aligned with CCNE and NONPFstandards.
• Evaluate course effectiveness and student learningoutcomes.
• Support students in remediation and academic advising.

Faculty and Staff Oversight

• Assign teaching and administrative duties in coordination withthe Department Chair.
• Supervise and evaluate full- and part-time faculty andstaff.
• Lead hiring and onboarding of new program personnel.
• Encourage faculty involvement in scholarship, research, andservice.

Accreditation and Compliance

• Lead and manage all aspects of CCNE accreditation and NONPFalignment, ensuring full and ongoing compliance.
• Serve as the primary liaison with CCNE and coordinate allcommunication and reporting.
• Oversee the program's self-study and continuous qualityimprovement efforts, including curriculum, assessment, admissions,clinical education, and student outcomes.
• Submit required accreditation documentation, including annualreports, interim updates, and notices of programmatic changes.
• Lead preparation for CCNE site visits, including narrativewriting, evidence collection, and team coordination.
• Maintain awareness of current and evolving CCNE and NONPFstandards and integrate them into program practice and policy.

Clinical and External Relations

• Provide oversight on the development and maintenance ofclinical rotation sites.
• Recruit and retain clinical preceptors and affiliatedpartners.
• Ensure students meet clinical performance benchmarks andgraduation requirements.

Program Leadership and ProfessionalEngagement

• Represent the PMHNP Program in university, local, and nationalforums.
• Participate in leadership activities that advance PMHNPeducation and professional development.
• Attend relevant professional conferences and events.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Dean.

Required Qualifications for PMHNP ProgramDirector

• Graduate of an accredited Psychiatric Mental Health NursePractitioner Program.
• Doctoral degree in nursing (DNP, PhD, or equivalent) ormatriculated in a doctoral program.
• Current national board PMHNP certification.
• Current unencumbered licensure, or eligible for licensure, asan RN and APRN in Massachusetts.
• Minimum of two years of academic experience and three years ofclinical practice in psychiatric mental health.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and organizationalskills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and data managementsystems.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Understanding of Westfield State University's mission andpublic service values.

Faculty Responsibilities (Department ofNursing)

The faculty member serving within the Department of Nursing isexpected to meet all teaching, scholarship, and service obligationsconsistent with the MSCA collective bargaining agreement, withteaching load adjustments as appropriate to reflect PMHNP ProgramDirector administrative responsibilities during the academicyear.

• Provide classroom and/or clinical instruction in PMHNP core andspecialty courses.
• Support students in remediation and academic advising.
• Encourage and participate in scholarship, research, andservice.
• Serve on university committees and engage in institutionalinitiatives.
• Participate in relevant professional conferences and activitiesthat support professional development.

Required Qualifications for Faculty Position

• Graduate of an accredited Psychiatric Mental Health NursePractitioner Program.
• Doctoral degree in nursing (DNP, PhD, or equivalent) ormatriculated in a doctoral program.
• Current national board PMHNP certification.
• Current unencumbered licensure, or eligible for licensure, asan RN and APRN in Massachusetts.
• Minimum of two years of academic experience and three years ofclinical practice in psychiatric mental health.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and organizationalskills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and data managementsystems.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Understanding of Westfield State University's mission andpublic service values.

Preferred Qualifications for FacultyPosition

• At least three years of full-time experience in highereducation.
• Demonstrated experience in academic program administration,curriculum leadership, or nursing program coordination.
• Experience supporting accreditation readiness, assessmentplanning, and continuous quality improvement processes.
• Experience teaching across classroom, clinical, laboratory,simulation, and online learning environments.
• Experience precepting or mentoring graduate nursingstudents.
• Demonstrated leadership in workforce development, facultydevelopment, and community healthcare partnerships.
• Experience establishing and maintaining clinical educationaffiliations and preceptor networks.
• Record of collaboration with healthcare systems, behavioralhealth agencies, and academic partners.
• Experience with competency-based and online education.

Compensation

The overall compensation for this position consists of the basesalary associated with the tenure-track faculty appointment in theDepartment of Nursing and additional stipended work associated withthe PMHNP Program Director appointment.

Base Salary (subject to MSCA collective bargaining agreementprovisions)

• Associate Professor: $105,000 to $120,000 annually

Stipend (Program Director Administrative Appointment)

• Summer Stipend: $10,500 to $12,000

Job Requirements:

See above section for required and preferred qualifications foreach position.

Additional Information:

Salary:

Salaries for current Westfield State University employees andindividuals currently working for the state of Massachusetts mustbe calculated individually in accordance with collective bargainingagreements as well as state policies. State job specifications maybe found on the Department of Higher Education's webpage.

Employee Benefits:

Benefits are an important component of an employee's totalcompensation package.

• Health Insurance: Westfield State offers a variety of HMO, POS,and PPO-type health insurance plans for eligible employees.Coverage is effective on the 1st of the month following the date ofhire. Exceptions to employees hired on the 1st of the month,coverage is effective immediately.
• Retirement: the MA State Employee Retirement System provideseligible employees with a retirement pension following a 10-yearvesting period. In lieu of the retirement pension, eligibleemployees may select the Optional Retirement Plan with a maximum 5%employer matching contribution.
• Tuition Waivers & Discounts: eligible employees, includingspouses and dependent children, receive reduced tuition at MA statecolleges, community colleges, and universities.
• Paid Time Off: employees receive 12 paid holidays and generousvacation, personal, and sick leave benefits.
• Additional information regarding employee benefits is availableon the University's Benefits & Wellness webpage.

Disability Accommodations

Westfield State University is committed to the full inclusion ofindividuals with disabilities and will ensure the availability ofreasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is neededto participate in the job application or interview process, pleasecontact Human Resources at [phone] or visit us in the HoraceMann Building, 1st floor.

Background Check

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion and reviewof a background check. A criminal record will not automaticallydisqualify an applicant from consideration.