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• Psychiatric Administration & Management Certification
• Information Bulletin Psychiatric Administration and Management

Information Bulletin Psychiatric Administration and Management

Certification in Psychiatric Administration and Management

The examination is a single written test with multiple choice and essay portions. It is offered yearly generally in conjunction with the May APA Annual Meeting. The APA component responsible for the application, eligibility, examination, and certification processes is the Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Management (hereafter "Committee") which was established in 1953.

All candidates must (1) meet the eligibility requirements described herein; (2) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theories, principles, modern practices, and current developments relevant to the management and administration of mental health programs and facilities; and (3) be able to apply their knowledge to situations and problems commonly encountered by psychiatric administrators.

The general content areas which may be examined include Administrative Theory and Human Resources; Mental Health Care Management; Revenue, Budget, and Fiscal Management; and Law and Ethics, as each is applied to mental health organizations and systems.

Administrative Theory and Human Resources

This area includes the contributions of major management theorists such as Weber, McGregor, Maslow, Blake and Mouton, Deming, and Juran. Candidates are not expected to have comprehensive knowledge of any one theorist, but should be familiar with the primary contributions referred to in prominent texts, major articles, and book chapters on mental health administration. Candidates should be able to apply management theory to real-life administrative situations and problems. They should be aware of the basic principles involved in such things as management styles and methods, delegation of authority, organization structure, organizational behavior, program evaluation, administrative problem solving, decision making and implementation, and human resources (including recruitment and selection, compensation, motivation, staff development, continuing education, performance evaluation, discipline, and labor-management relations).

Psychiatric Care Management

This area is made up of clinical program topics and principles in a variety of program settings, including (but not necessarily limited to) inpatient, outpatient, private (for profit and not for profit), public (e.g., VA, state, academic, community), special groups (e.g., substance abusers, children, the elderly, dual diagnosis), consultation services and processes, public health, program planning and implementation, accreditation and certification, utilization review, quality improvement, interaction among administrative departments, medical staff matters, clinical records, and interactions with other agencies and entities in the community (e.g., other providers, patients, government agencies, advocacy groups). Candidates must be familiar with managed care concepts and practices and with the impact of managed mental health care on psychiatry and psychiatric patients.

Revenue, Budget, and Fiscal Management

This area includes the role and function of the financial manager, the relationship between clinical managers and budget and fiscal matters, methods and mechanisms for financing mental health care (including various sources of revenue and the general rules and ramifications of each), billing and payers (e.g., Medicaid, Medicare, managed care, capitation, fee-for-service), basic accounting principles, budgeting policies and procedures (including program budgeting, zero-based budgeting), cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and fiscal controls.

Law and Ethics

This area includes legal issues as they apply to patients, staff, and the overall organization. Important topics include (but may not be limited to) commitment procedures and rights, treatment rights, other patient rights, consent, competence, criminal law as it effects the organization and its administration (e.g., billing fraud), confidentiality and privilege, record keeping, record disclosure and access, protection and advocacy, and reporting requirements (e.g., abuse and neglect, impaired staff, communicable diseases). Candidates should have a basic understanding of employment law, facility licensure, certification and regulation, including (as they apply to mental health facilities and organizations) EEOC, ADA, COBRA, HIPAA, harassment, due process, and credentialing and privileging. They should also be able to discuss common ethical issues involved in provision of mental health care, administration and research; current major health care legislative issues; and key judicial decisions affecting delivery of mental health care.

Policies and Procedures Regarding Eligibility and Application for Certification

Eligibility for Certification

To be eligible for certification (i.e., to sit for the certifying examination), applicants must meet certain requirements designed to identify psychiatrists qualified to participate in the management of various types of mental health programs.

Basic Certification in Psychiatry

Each U.S. applicant must be certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) or the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (AOBNP) as a specialist in general psychiatry. Canadian applicants must be similarly certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Education and Experience

Each applicant must, by the time of the examination, meet at least one of the following:

• Have had an equivalent of one (1) full year of recent experience as a psychiatrist with a substantial administrative role in a mental health program; OR
• Have completed one (1) academic year of accredited fellowship (or the equivalent) in psychiatric or mental health administration, supervised by a psychiatrist. 

The decision as to whether an applicant's training and/or experience is sufficient is at the sole discretion of the Committee.

Application, Fees, and Examination

The Information Bulletin, Exam Application, Reference Letter, and Suggested Reading List may be obtained upon request by contacting the CPAM staff liaison by letter, email, fax, or on the web at by filling out the Psychiatric Administration and Management form.

All communications should be addressed to:

Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Management

American Psychiatric Association

Department of CME (Attention Staff Liaison)

The following must be met in order for an application to be considered:

• The completed application, with all fees and attachments, must be received by APA on or before January 31 of the year in which the examination is anticipated.
• A non-refundable application fee of $200 must accompany the application. 

The application must be accompanied by two (2) letters of reference from appropriate colleagues or employers stating that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements.

A signed and dated copy of the examination/certification PLEDGE must accompany the application (see text of Pledge below).

The application must be complete, with all questions answered legibly. Curricula vita may be included for supportive information, but will not suffice for information which should be entered on the application form.

Candidates approved to take the examination will be notified of their acceptance as soon as feasible after receipt of the completed application packet, but no event later than February 28 of the year of the anticipated exam.

APA strongly recommends that applications be mailed for receipt well before the January 31 deadline in order to provide time to resolve any problems or errors, and to allow the candidate maximum preparation time.

An additional examination fee of $450 is required after the candidate has been accepted for the examination. The examination fee is due at least forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the examination.

The fees required prior to the examination are:

• Non-refundable application fee of $200
• Examination/Certificate fee of $450. 

Any candidate who cancels his or her examination in writing (by letter, fax, or email) at least thirty (30) days before the examination will receive a refund of the examination fee, less a $100 administrative charge.

If a candidate does not appear for the scheduled examination, and does not provide timely notice (see above), the entire fee is forfeited; however, the candidate is eligible to take the examination within two examination cycles for an additional fee of $300. After that, the candidate must re-apply and submit the then-appropriate fees.

Successful Examination and Certification

Candidates who pass the examination will be promptly notified in writing and will receive an appropriate certificate. The certification is not time-limited, nor does it "expire." It may, however, be forfeited or otherwise revoked under the circumstances outlined in the Pledge which the applicant submits with his or her application, and elsewhere in this Bulletin. Duplicate certificates will be issued upon request for a fee of $100.

Failure and Reexamination

A candidate who fails the written test or any section thereof has failed the examination. He or she may request re-examination by mail, fax, or email and be reexamined within two examination cycles, without filing a new application. To qualify for re-examination the candidate must:

• Pay a reexamination fee of $300 and,
• Request reexamination prior to January 31 of the second year following failure.

Any request for reexamination received less than forty-five (45) days before the examination is scheduled may, at the Committee's option, be deferred to the following scheduled examination, but in no event will reexamination occur more than two (2) years after the failed examination.

Candidates who fail two reexaminations must wait at least eighteen (18) months to reapply and pay all application and examination fees.

APA and the Committee will provide ample notice of the above schedules and time frames for the application, examination, and re-examination process, as applicable.

Appeal and Feedback Procedures

A candidate who fails the exam may obtain feedback about his or her performance and/or appeal the grade by complying with the following procedures. Note that neither copies of the test nor specific questions will be provided to candidates.

Appeals

An unsuccessful candidate may submit a written request for a formal appeal. The request must be by mail or courier and postmarked or reliably dated within forty-five (45) days after the date of notice of a non-passing grade. All such requests must be accompanied by a written statement setting out the basis for the appeal, as well as by written information or material the candidate believes will rebut the non-passing grade.

Appeal Fee

A formal appeal must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of $300 (which does not include the fee for examination feedback).

The Committee will review the material provided by the candidate, may or may not contact the candidate for discussion, and will make a final determination. The Committee's decision, and its basis, will be communicated to the applicant within thirty (30) days after the next regularly-scheduled committee meeting.

Feedback only

An unsuccessful candidate may submit a written request for feedback about his or her grade. A fee of $150 must accompany the written request. The candidate will be provided with written and/or oral comments from a Committee member or consultant regarding his or her performance within thirty (30) days after the next regularly-scheduled committee meeting. Neither copies of the test nor specific questions will be provided to candidates.

All correspondence and materials should be sent to the Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Management. Candidates should be sure to retain copies and/or originals, as appropriate, of all material sent to APA.

Disqualification and Revocation of Certificates

Certificates issued by the American Psychiatric Association, Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Management, are subject to revocation in the event that:

• The certificate holder was not actually eligible to receive certification at the time it was awarded, regardless of whether or not the facts constituting ineligibility were known to any members, consultants, or officers of the Committee at the time the certificate was issued; OR
• The certificate holder made any deliberate misstatement of fact in the application for examination or in any other statement or representation to the Committee or to any member, officer, consultant, or agent thereof; OR
• The certificate holder has had his or her license to practice medicine revoked or suspended (note that the reference to termination of medical license herein and in the Pledge below is not intended to apply to certificate holders who have merely moved and obtained a license in some other state, U.S. territory, or Canadian province, so long as the earlier license was allowed to lapse or expire without prejudice); OR
• The certificate holder's ABPN, AOBNP, RCPSC (Psychiatry) or similar certification in general psychiatry expires by virtue of not taking, or not passing, a required recertification examination is revoked; OR
• The candidate or certificate holder violates the Pledge signed upon application (see below).

Pledge

Each candidate is required to sign and date the following Pledge when applying for examination, a copy of which is provided with the application:

I hereby make application to the American Psychiatric Association Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Management for certification as a Psychiatric Administrator and for examination relative thereto, all in accordance with and subject to the rules and regulations of this Committee.

I agree to disqualification from the examination and/or from certification, and to forfeiture of such certification, in the event that any statement made by me in this application is knowingly false, or in the event I knowingly violate any rules governing such examination. I agree to hold APA and the Committee, their members, examiners, officers, consultants and agents, free from any damage, claim for damage, or complaint by reason of any action they, or any of them, may take in connection with this application, examinations, grades given, and/or failure of the Committee or APA to issue me such certification.

I further agree that in the event that my medical license or qualifying certification by ABPN, AOBNP, RCPSC (Psychiatry), or similar certification is revoked or otherwise terminated, my APA Certification in Psychiatric Administration and Management is automatically void. I will surrender my APA certificate to the APA headquarters within thirty (30) days of such termination.

Changes or Amendments to the Information Bulletin

The Committee on Psychiatric Administration and Management and/or the American Psychiatric Association may occasionally adopt, amend, and/or repeal regulations related to eligibility requirements, the application process, fees, examination/evaluation procedures, issuance of certificates, and other matters.