New PMHS Exam Eligibility Pathways
The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board is excited to share that two new pathways are now open for meeting Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PMHS) exam eligibility.
Don’t have 2,000 clinical hours in pediatric developmental, behavioral, or mental health care (DBMH) in the past 5 years for primary care to meet the Traditional Pathway criteria? Now you have options:
- Faculty Pathway: created especially for faculty who regularly teach and engage with DBMH content. This pathway will need only 1,000 pediatric DBMH hours worked in the past 5 years. Faculty will combine these hours with 10 points of accepted activities highlighted below and described in detail here.
- Specialty Program Pathway: also reduces the pediatric DBMH hours to 1,000 worked in the past 5 years and relies on completion of a targeted, approved program like KySS Online Mental Health Fellowship: Child and Adolescent (The Ohio State University), Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Program (Duke University), or the APRN Scholars Program in Developmental, Behavioral Pediatrics, Mental Health, and Complex Care (Almost Home Kids, an affiliate of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago). A certificate of completion will need to be uploaded when applying.
The PMHS exam is offered 4 times per year. See our exam eligibility webpage for all details including foundational certification and licensure requirements.
Kids are in crisis. As an advocate for child, adolescent, and young adult emotional wellness, you are in a unique position to make a difference with PMHS-confirmed knowledge and confidence.
Visit our website to learn more. We hope to see your application soon!
