In February 2025, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Board of Directors approved the request from the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) to recognize expertise in Emergency Behavioral Health (EBH) through a Focused Practice Designation (FPD).
“The mental health crisis in the US and its lack of access to EBH care creates a tremendous urgency for advanced knowledge. This is a step toward making improvements to this critical need for a unique skill set. This is a necessary accomplishment for ABEM, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), and all collaborators,” said Diane L. Gorgas, M.D., President of ABEM.
ABEM and the ABPN have collaborated on this initiative and together will offer this FPD to interested emergency physicians and psychiatrists. An Emergency Behavioral Health Task Force, a multi-disciplinary representation across the House of Medicine, was established to bring forward this opportunity.
EBH physicians will increase access to care for emergency department patients seeking acute, unscheduled, mental health treatment. These patients frequently experience disparities of care based on insurance status, race, and age. Appropriate and timely emergency behavioral health care can now be more effectively provided to patients who are boarding in the emergency department for days, weeks, or, on occasion, months, while awaiting an inpatient psychiatric bed. The opportunity for physicians to gain a recognized designation in EBH takes one step forward to address this public health emergency.
ABEM looks forward to its continued partnership with the ABPN and the Emergency Medicine community to advance this important work.
