Life as a provider

Your guide to psychiatric continuing education, or psychiatry CME

Explore psychiatric continuing education options tailored to psychiatrists and psychiatric providers who need flexible psychiatry CME. Understand what’s required for your license and board certification.

January 16, 2026

6 min read

Staying current with new research, shifting guidance, psychiatry board certification requirements, and evolving standards of care is part of your job as a psychiatric prescriber — and you’re doing it all while managing a demanding caseload. Understandably, the last thing you want to do is spend extra time trying to figure out exactly what psychiatric continuing education you need and where to get it.

This guide outlines the key requirements and most efficient ways to earn your psychiatry CME credits so you can stay current and compliant — without all of the complexity.

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Key takeaways

Psychiatry continuing medical education (CME) helps psychiatrists and psychiatric care providers stay current with best practices through ongoing training. CME credits also need to be maintained for state licenses and board certifications.
CME requirements vary by state and license type, so it’s essential to check your medical or nursing board for the exact hours, timelines, and required topics.
Headway Academy offers free, accredited continuing education and supportive clinical tools for Headway providers, helping psychiatric clinicians meet requirements and strengthen their practice without extra administrative hassles.

What is psychiatry CME?

Psychiatry continuing medical education (CME) refers to the ongoing training psychiatrists and psychiatric providers — typically psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), physicians, and PAs who manage mental health medications — complete to stay current with best practices and maintain their licenses and board certifications.

Because most psychiatrists prescribe medication, psychiatry CME often focuses on psychopharmacology, diagnostic updates, safety monitoring, and new research. These credits help psychiatric care providers keep pace with ever-changing treatment standards while also meeting their state and board requirements.

How to determine what psychiatry CME credits you need for your license

Determining how many psychiatric continuing education credits you need depends on two factors: your credential (physician, PMHNP, or PA) and the state where you’re licensed.

Every licensing board sets its own rules around total CME hours, renewal timelines, and mandatory subject areas. So it’s imperative that you look up license requirements on your state’s website, as well as through boards like the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Psychiatry CME options

There are many different ways to earn psychiatry CME credits, from traditional conferences to fully online, self-paced courses. The right option depends on your schedule, learning style, and the specific topics you need to cover for your license.

Below are some of the most common — and most flexible — ways that prescribing mental health providers can complete their CME requirements.

Psychiatry CME online options

Online CME gives psychiatrists and psychiatric providers flexibility to earn credits on their own schedule. When comparing online CME options, look for activities that are ACCME- or ANCC-accredited, relevant to your clinical focus, and aligned with your state’s required topics.

Here are a few online psychiatry CME sources:

APA Learning Center: Offers a broad range of psychiatry-specific CME courses, including psychopharmacology and diagnostic updates
Master Psychopharmacology Program: Online certificate program for healthcare professionals to hone their skills in psychopharmacology
PsychU: Provides free and paid CME covering emerging research, treatment guidelines, and patient-centered care topics
Psychopharmacology Institute: Offers up to 155 CME credits, including 40 self-assessment (SA) credits

Free psychiatry CME options

Free psychiatry CME is a great way to stay current without adding extra expense to your practice. Many reputable organizations offer no-cost CME through grant-funded programs, peer-reviewed webinars, and evidence-based training. Just make sure the credits are properly accredited and accepted by your state and license type.

Here are a few free CME options to explore:

SAMHSA webinars: Offers free CME on topics like substance use disorders, crisis care, and mental health policy updates
Medscape Psychiatry: Regularly publishes no-cost CME modules across a wide range of psychiatric conditions and medications
PsychU: Provides free CME options on psychiatric research, treatment approaches, and collaborative care

Headway Academy offers continuing education for free online

Headway Academy is Headway’s learning center that offers an extensive online library of CE courses for mental health providers — from quick, ten-minute “clinical shorts” to more robust training in psychiatric prescribing, documentation, compliance, and clinical quality.

Through partnerships with PESI, Violet, and the Eating Recovery Center, Headway provides free continuing education offerings for Headway providers. However, not every course earns CME credit, so you should verify before beginning a given course,

For psychiatrists, PMHNPs, and PAs, these courses can cover core topics like psychopharmacology, safety monitoring, and documentation. And, because many of the partner providers are accredited under standard continuing education frameworks (like ACCME and ANCC), these credits may satisfy licensure or board requirements.

Even better? Headway bundles continuing education with other supportive tools like billing, documentation, and credentialing, so you can spend less time on paperwork and more time on patient care.

Strengthening your skills — and supporting your practice

You’re required to keep learning in your psychiatric practice, but you shouldn’t have to rearrange your entire caseload to make it happen.

With Headway, you can get access to high-quality education alongside tools that simplify medication management, streamline documentation, and make accepting insurance more streamlined (and less stressful). Whether you’re refreshing your knowledge, meeting renewal requirements, or deepening your clinical expertise, Headway helps you run your most educated and most efficient practice.

Get started with Headway today

Join a network of thousands of mental health providers who have already chosen Headway to streamline their practice and expand their network — at no cost to you.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

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