Advanced Nursing Behavioral Health Transition to Practice Program

University Hospitals Behavioral Health Institute (BHI) is committed to the further education and training of advanced practice providers. The Behavioral Health Institute provides a structured mentorship program for Advanced Practice Providers hired into the department.

The mission is to provide enhanced access to safe, effective, high-quality, patient-centered care.

Program Goals

• Provide advanced training and mentorship for newly licensed advanced practice nurses within the BHI.
• Deliver structured training and ongoing support to newly licensed advanced practice nurses within the BHI to facilitate successful integration into clinical practice.
• Create a professional environment that supports and retains advanced practice nurses at all levels—from novice to expert—through mentorship and career development opportunities.
• Enhance clinical practice by ensuring nurses demonstrate core competencies and apply evidence-based approaches in patient care.
• Encourage effective communication and collaboration with interdisciplinary team members and patients to optimize patient outcomes.

Program Objectives

Upon completion of the mentorship program, the new APRN will be able to:

• Integrate advanced clinical skills and evidence-based practices to provide high-quality patient care within the BHI.
• Communicate effectively and collaborate with interdisciplinary team members and patients to support coordinated, patient-centered care.
• Participate actively in program activities and mentorship opportunities to foster engagement, confidence, and long-term retention in the organization.
• Recognize and incorporate cultural, social, and individual patient needs into clinical practice, promoting an inclusive healthcare environment.

Program Components

• Begin with longer patient appointments to support learning and clinical skill development, with adjustments as competence and efficiency increase.
• Participate in weekly sessions with an APP mentor and collaborating physician to review clinical cases, provide feedback, and guide professional growth.
• Participate in weekly system-wide APP collaboration and a year-long national transition-to-practice program for new graduate APPs.

Program Members

Natasha Ashcraft, DNP, APRN-CNP, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP
Program Director

Natasha Ashcraft is a doctorate-prepared, board-certified mental health and addiction nurse practitioner with extensive experience treating individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. Natasha has served as a nurse practitioner with University Hospitals Addiction Recovery Services since 2018, where she leads the ambulatory medical detox program.

Before joining ARS, she worked in Stark County at a community mental health agency, providing care to individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders. She managed patients assigned to the Assertive Community Treatment Team, the HOPE Program, and the Crisis Stabilization and Detox Units. Natasha’s clinical background includes medical detox, medication-assisted treatment, and both outpatient and inpatient mental health care.

Natasha is passionate about education and sharing her expertise with future nurse practitioners. She holds a Post-Master’s Degree in Nursing Education and, outside of clinical practice, coordinates a graduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing program. She also serves as an Assistant Professor of Graduate Nursing at a local university, where she develops curriculum, leads adjunct faculty, and prepares students for their transition into the nurse practitioner role.

Lindsey Irwin, MSN, PMHCNS-BS, PMHNP, BS-BC

Lindsey Irwin is a board-certified adult psychiatric clinical nurse specialist and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and nursing from Kent State University and completed her master’s degree at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

Before becoming an APRN, Lindsey worked as an inpatient RN and nursing supervisor at Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare. Over the past seven years as an APRN, she has served as an inpatient provider at UH Geauga Medical Center and at Southwest General’s Oakview Behavioral Health, where she provided care for adults on the inpatient unit as well as in their Mental Health and Chemical Dependency PHP/IOP programs.

Lindsey has experience treating adults with mood disorders, personality disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders, with a particular interest in caring for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. She is currently enrolled in the dual PhD/DNP program at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, where her research focuses on functional disability in adults with serious mental illness.