The Case for Fellowship Training in Emergency Psychiatry

Abstract

Emergency departments (EDs) are a critical setting for behavioral health treatment particularly for minority and underserved communities, yet quality emergency psychiatric care remains inconsistently available. Subspecialty fellowship training in emergency psychiatry represents the most transformative potential approach to improving psychiatric care in EDs and crisis centers. We describe a new network of emergency psychiatry fellowship programs that are training a new generation of expert clinicians and leaders. Proposed educational milestones are described. These efforts will improve access to and the quality of mental health care for all patients regardless of treatment setting.