Chris Nelson

Background

About Chris Nelson

I currently work as a Psychiatric Physician Assistant at Hawaii Island Community Health Center. I currently work at an FQHC with an underserved population on the Big Island. I have spent the majority of my career working with the underserved and find this work very fullfilling. I worked for 26 in mental health working mostly in a County Mental Health setting in Salt Lake City, Utah working for Valley Mental Health then transitioning to St. George, Utah where I worked for 19 years at Southwest Behavioral Health Center. During my time working in mental health, I got my Social Service Workers License. I started at Southwest Behavioral Health Center as a Case Manager in but quickly became a supervisor where I started multiple programs including an after-school program as well as a summer day treatment program. During this time I also started a respite program. I also supervised all case management services at this time as well and trained in and trained others in Wraparound services. In 2009 I started working with Crisis Intervention Training and became the Regional Coordinator representing mental health and partnering with local law enforcement. This led to me being able to start the first Mobile Crisis Outreach Team and Stabilization and Mobile Response team for Washington County. I have had a very exciting career and made a change to psychiatry after careful consideration due to the lack of providers in our community. It has become clear to me while completing this fellowship that there are many areas around the country that are underserved for psychiatry. I would like to fill a gap and help a community have access to needed medications for stabilization and feel I have the necessary skills and tools with my past work experience, my education as a PA, and my current Fellowship through MUPC.