Residency Training in Emergency Psychiatry: A Model Curriculum Developed by the Education Committee of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry

Objective: Describe training goals, objectives and requirements in emergency psychiatry to assist residency programs in developing comprehensive training programs to ensure psychiatric residents acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to competently assess and manage patients with psychiatric emergencies. Methods: The American Association for Emergency Psychiatry (AAEP) Education Committee developed these guidelines using a consensus-building process. Conclusion: These guidelines address all aspects of training including objectives, recommended training sites, rotation length, clinical supervision, curriculum content and evaluation. The objectives emphasize acute assessment and intervention skills. The AAEP Education Committee hopes that by implementing these guidelines, training programs will enable residents to become competent and comfortable working in a psychiatric emergency service.