Rootstown, Ohio-based Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) has earned accreditation for a new Master of Science in Mental Health Practice degree.
The program is designed to train certified mental health assistants — a profession developed by NEOMED — to help address Ohio’s shortage of psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Seventy-five of the state’s 88 counties are designated as mental health professional shortage areas, according to a Jan. 30 university news release shared with Becker’s.
Certified mental health assistants will work under physician supervision to prescribe medication and deliver care for a range of mental health conditions and substance use disorders. They will serve as part of physician-led teams in inpatient, outpatient and primary care settings, as well as in residential treatment programs.
The degree was approved by the Higher Learning Commission and the Ohio Department of Education. Randon Welton, MD, chairs NEOMED’s department of psychiatry and serves as director of the program.
The program builds on state legislation initiated in 2022 that helped establish the certified mental health assistant role.
