UC Davis program helps nurse answer California’s mental health crisis

Joan Taylor, a graduate of the UC Multicampus Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program, explains how the program prepared her to succeed from day one.

Joan Taylor’s path to becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner began long before she entered the UC Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program.

At 19, she became a mom and found herself caring for an infant with serious respiratory problems. What she remembers most from that time are the nurses who saw her, taught her and treated her with respect. They showed her how to use equipment, recognize symptoms and advocate for her child. Those nurses changed her life and helped her understand the kind of nurse she wanted to become.

Not every nurse treated her that way. As a young mother of color in Oakland, she also faced bias and judgment. Those moments taught her what she did not want to become. Combined, those early experiences became the foundation for her nursing career.

Fast forward several decades, and Taylor’s understanding of the health care system deepened in painful new ways. A member of her family began cycling through homelessness, mental illness, substance use, incarceration and psychiatric emergencies. Even with her clinical training, she struggled to help him.

“I watched him and others in that cycle. It's hard to describe the powerlessness that one has and I was in health care,” explained Taylor, a 2025 graduate of the UC Davis program.

She saw how difficult it was for people with severe mental illness to get ongoing care, especially in under-resourced communities. She also saw very few psychiatric providers who understood the realities of poverty, racism and urban life.

“I realized we needed more psychiatric providers who look like me and who understand these communities,” she said.

“The [UC PMHNP] clinical placement team made sure I had the right experiences. And the faculty are doing cutting-edge work that pushes the field forward.” – Joan Taylor, UC PMHNP Certificate Program alum

According to a workforce-supply model from the California Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), as of this year all three major behavioral-health provider groups in California are projected to have shortages. The state will need thousands more clinicians to meet demand in the next decade, especially for low-income and underserved populations.

That need motivated Taylor to return to school and specialize in psychiatric mental health.

She learned about the UC Davis program from colleagues who spoke highly of its quality and its focus on care across the lifespan. Even though the one-year program is fast-paced, she said it prepared her to succeed from day one. “The program is intense, but you come out ready to work,” Taylor said. “The clinical placement team made sure I had the right experiences. And the faculty are doing cutting-edge work that pushes the field forward.”

Today, Taylor works with patients of all ages, from children with anxiety and ADHD to older adults managing depression or cognitive concerns. She brings 35 years of life experience to each visit, helping her connect with patients who often feel misunderstood.

“When a teenager tells me she feels like she’s ‘too much,’ I understand her. I’ve been that girl,” she said.

Taylor recommends the UC Davis program to nurses who want strong preparation and who want to make an impact quickly. As a woman of color, she also hopes her presence helps expand access to mental health care for communities that need it most.

“For me, this is where my skills and experience matter the most,” she said. “Mental health is essential to wellness, and I want to be part of meeting that need.”