(Article written by Brooklyn Draisey with the Iowa Capital Dispatch) –  Grand View University in Des Moines has become the first university in Iowa to partner with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to embed its provider certification into the college’s nursing program, a move officials say will help to start addressing needs for mental health training in the health care profession.

The private university announced in a news release it is incorporating additional instruction into its psychiatric mental health course with training provided by NAMI staff for its bachelor of science in nursing, making it a requirement for all students in the program. Nursing department chair Lisa Laughlin said in an interview the education students will receive through the NAMI training will help break down biases and offer a new perspective on mental health conditions and treatment.

(Photo courtesy of Grand View University)

Students will undertake an additional 15 hours of education and training in their psychiatric mental health course, Laughlin said, working with three instructors who will provide their perspectives as a health care professional with a background in mental health, someone who lives with or is recovering from a mental health diagnosis and a family member of someone with a mental health diagnosis.

New instruction from NAMI blends nicely with Grand View’s existing curriculum, Laughlin said, as the university has always taken a holistic approach to its nursing education. According to the news release, nearly one in five U.S. adults are “experiencing a mental illness each year,” but less than half receive treatment. Laughlin said the new certification will only be a “drop in the puddle” of efforts by educators and the health care industry to address mental health needs, but it will help in drawing more attention to the problem.

According to Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, Des Moines University also partnered with NAMI in 2018 to train third-year osteopathic medical students in how to spot mental illnesses in patients and either treat them or refer to another caregiver. Mid-Iowa Health Foundation provided initial funding for the program.