Washington, D.C. — The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has been accredited as a provider of interprofessional continuing education (IPCE). Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education offers organizations the opportunity to simultaneously serve multiple professions, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other health care professionals, through a single, unified application process, structure, and set of accreditation standards.

This distinction is awarded from three accreditation leaders:

• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

Joint Accreditation establishes the standards for education providers to deliver continuing education that is planned by the healthcare team for the healthcare team and include category 1 credit of the American Medical Association’s Physician’s Recognition Award (“AMA PRA”), as well as continuing education units for psychologists, social workers, and nurses, among others. These credits are utilized by state licensing boards and boards of medical specialties to re-license physicians and re-certify them in their areas of specialty and provide similar licensing and certifications for nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other health professionals.

“This acknowledgment that APA has met the rigorous standards for educational quality and independence in interprofessional education further empowers our education efforts and enhancement of effective collaborative mental health care teams,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A. “It provides an opportunity to build and promote educational activities specifically designed to improve team collaboration and patient care.”

The American Psychiatric Association is pleased to be part of a group of organizations in the United States and throughout the world, including major medical schools, national medical associations, hospitals, and other medical education organizations that have been awarded this accreditation status. To learn more about IPCE accreditation, visit: https://www.jointaccreditation.org/.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,000 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.