Board certification is a voluntary credential that shows a clinician has met national standards in a specialty beyond the basic license required to practice. For psychiatrists, it is granted by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, or ABPN, after completion of an accredited residency and a passing score on a comprehensive examination. Osteopathic physicians may certify through the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry. Subspecialty certifications exist for child and adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry and others, each requiring additional fellowship training and a separate exam.
Certification is not permanent. Psychiatrists certified since 1994 must participate in continuing certification, which involves ongoing education, periodic assessment and quality improvement activities. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants have their own boards: the American Nurses Credentialing Center certifies PMHNPs, and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants certifies PAs, with recertification every several years. State licensure is different from certification. A license is the legal permission to practice, granted by the Florida or South Carolina board, while certification is a professional standard set by the specialty itself. When you see board-certified in a provider biography, it signals completed training and demonstrated knowledge in that field. Stedfast Psychiatry is led by Dr. David Husted, a board-certified psychiatrist, and lists each provider's credentials and certifications on their profile pages so you can verify them.