PMHNP · Maine
Collaborative Practice Agreement for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in Maine
Not unconditionally. Maine does not name a specific instrument.
PMHNPs follow the same 32 M.R.S. § 2102 framework as any other NP population focus. This entry exists for its own page/URL/calculator weight, not a legal distinction from `np`.
Independent practice requires: Same 24-month supervised-practice pathway as general NPs — see that entry; Maine's APRN statute doesn't set a separate threshold for the psychiatric-mental-health population focus..
What the collaboration must look like
The rules the physician relationship has to follow. Each fact comes from the statute or board rule listed under sources.
Proximity
during the 24-month supervised period: Available remotely (no on-site requirement)
Same standard as general NPs.
after 24 months of supervised practice: No proximity requirement
No physician/supervisor availability standard applies once independent.
Supervision ratio
Not codified — no cap on file
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
Not codified — left to the agreement
Prescriptive authority
Covered by the practice agreement · controlled substances permitted
Same statutory scope as general NPs (Schedule II-V). PMHNP prescribing in practice skews toward Schedule II stimulants and Schedule IV benzodiazepines/hypnotics more heavily than general primary-care NP prescribing, reflected in calculatorWeights below.
Written agreement
Not required
Same as general NP — only a registered supervisory relationship, no written agreement, during the 24-month period.
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Same as the general `np` entry — probable but unverified NP-owned entity pathway once independent.
Legal sources for these rules (2)
- 32 M.R.S. § 2102 — Advanced practice registered nursing
- 02-380 C.M.R. ch. 8 — Regulations Relating to Advanced Practice Registered Nursing
What a collaborating physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Maine
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Standard-tier state.
About Maine's rules
Maine's provider categories follow different independence models: NPs graduate to full practice after 24 months of registered (not written-agreement) supervision; PAs graduate after 4,000 documented clinical hours but still need a lighter 'practice agreement' afterward; CNMs/CNSs appear independent from initial licensure; and CRNAs remain physician/dentist-accountable except in critical-access/rural hospitals. Do not assume a single APRN framework applies uniformly.
Other clinicians in Maine: see the state overview.