Skip to main content
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals
Menu

Main navigation redesign

  • Programs
    • Bachelor's Programs
      • Nursing
        • Bachelor Of Science in Nursing (BSN)
        • Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online
        • RN to BSN Option
      • BSN Campus Locations
        • Phoenix, AZ
        • Irwindale, CA
        • Sacramento, CA
        • Jacksonville, FL
        • Miramar, FL
        • Atlanta, GA
        • Stockbridge, GA
        • Addison, IL
        • Chicago, IL
        • Tinley Park, IL
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • New Orleans, LA
        • Troy, MI
        • St. Louis, MO
        • Las Vegas, NV
        • Charlotte, NC
        • North Brunswick, NJ
        • Columbus, OH
        • Houston, TX
        • Irving, TX
        • Pearland, TX
        • San Antonio, TX
        • Tysons Corner, VA
    • Master’s Programs
      • Nursing
        • Master Of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
        • Family Nurse Practitioner
        • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
        • Graduate Certificates
        • RN to MSN Options
        • Accelerated MSN
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Master of Public Health
        • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
        • Master of Social Work
    • Doctorate Programs
      • Nursing
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • Certificates
      • Nursing
        • Nursing Certificates
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Public Health Certificate
  • Admission
    • Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • Curriculum and Catalogs
    • Become a Student
      • Military Information
      • Transfer Students
  • Financial Aid
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Tuition and Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Aid Forms
      • Partnerships
    • Financial Assistance
      • Scholarships
      • Federal and State Grants
      • Applying for Federal Aid
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
  • Why Chamberlain
    • Our Story
      • History
      • Our Vision
      • Chamberlain Care
      • Diversity and Inclusion
    • About Chamberlain
      • Leadership
      • Campus Locations
      • Newsroom
      • Blog
      • Accreditation
      • Student Consumer Information
      • Alumni

Mobile Secondary Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Mobile Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Prospective Students
  • Transfers
  • Military
  • Alumni
  • Partners
  • Employers
  • Transcripts

Top Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Information For
    • Current Students
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfers
    • Military
    • Alumni
    • Partners
    • Employers
    • Transcripts
  • Chat
  • 877.751.5783
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Main navigation redesign

  • Programs
    • Bachelor's Programs
      • Nursing
        • Bachelor Of Science in Nursing (BSN)
        • Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online
        • RN to BSN Option
      • BSN Campus Locations
        • Phoenix, AZ
        • Irwindale, CA
        • Sacramento, CA
        • Jacksonville, FL
        • Miramar, FL
        • Atlanta, GA
        • Stockbridge, GA
        • Addison, IL
        • Chicago, IL
        • Tinley Park, IL
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • New Orleans, LA
        • Troy, MI
        • St. Louis, MO
        • Las Vegas, NV
        • Charlotte, NC
        • North Brunswick, NJ
        • Columbus, OH
        • Houston, TX
        • Irving, TX
        • Pearland, TX
        • San Antonio, TX
        • Tysons Corner, VA
    • Master’s Programs
      • Nursing
        • Master Of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
        • Family Nurse Practitioner
        • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
        • Graduate Certificates
        • RN to MSN Options
        • Accelerated MSN
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Master of Public Health
        • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
        • Master of Social Work
    • Doctorate Programs
      • Nursing
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • Certificates
      • Nursing
        • Nursing Certificates
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Public Health Certificate
  • Admission

    Admission

    Our team is with you every step of the way, providing the information you need to make the decisions that best serve you.

    • Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • Curriculum and Catalogs
    • Become a Student
      • Military Information
      • Transfer Students
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

  • Financial Aid

    Financial Aid

    Get support as you navigate paying for your education. Request information to connect with our admission team to discuss your financial options.

    • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Tuition and Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Aid Forms
      • Partnerships
    • Financial Assistance
      • Scholarships
      • Federal and State Grants
      • Applying for Federal Aid
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

  • Why Chamberlain

    Why Chamberlain

    Chamberlain University has a 130-year history preparing extraordinary nursing graduates and healthcare professionals. 

    • Our Story
      • History
      • Our Vision
      • Chamberlain Care
      • Diversity and Inclusion
    • About Chamberlain
      • Leadership
      • Campus Locations
      • Newsroom
      • Blog
      • Accreditation
      • Student Consumer Information
      • Alumni
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

Secondary Header Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Featured

group of smiling nurses studying and collaborating
Are RN to BSN Nursing Programs Worth It?
caregiver with patient in a home setting
Preparing for Your Career as a Family…
Three male nurses smiling with their hands on each other's shoulders
6 Reasons Men Are Choosing a Career in…

Tags

Browse articles by category
Alumni
Campus News
Careers
Health Professions
Nursing Today
Tips for Students

Share

Blog Social Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Nursing Today
  • Chamberlain Alumna Focuses on Total Care: Adds Mental-Health Component

Chamberlain Alumna Focuses on Total Care: Adds Mental-Health Component

February 06, 2020 by Heather L Hurtado
Jennifer Keller_01.31.20_CU Graduation Cropped 2

Being trained as a Chamberlain nurse means noticing when there is an unmet need. Alumna Jennifer Keller, DNP, CPNP, PMHS, joined a local hospital years ago and soon realized there was a need for mental healthcare in the primary setting but there wasn’t a place for it. So, in true Chamberlain fashion, she Stepped Forward to make it happen.

“There was no availability, access or people to do it,” recalled Jennifer, who has been with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for 10 years, the last six as a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. “I had focused on adolescent healthcare, primarily those with anxiety and depression, and I wanted to implement a model where we see patients for mental healthcare and primary care – both in the same setting. I wanted to figure out a way to help fill this gap in mental healthcare.”

Turning Challenge into Reality

So five years ago, while completing her online Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP) with Chamberlain, she set out to be that trailblazer. Inspired by her mom to join the nursing profession, Jennifer chose primary care because of the opportunity to build relationships with patients and their families.

While the idea to incorporate mental healthcare was well received, there was a lot of apprehension and fear from physicians and nurse practitioners to build this model because of anticipated capacity and resource shortages.

“There was a fear that ‘if we build this, they will come’,” Jennifer said. “But the research showed that they were already here and we were ignoring them. It was an eye-opening experience. A lot of the primary-care diagnoses are based on mental health problems.”

Taking the First Step

That seemed to be the evidence needed for her team to give the pilot a try. First and foremost, Jennifer reached out to every therapist within a five-mile radius of the hospital to establish a two-way partnership for the program. “Building your resources is more advantageous than not and helped this model take off.”

At the beginning, Jennifer – who also has a Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist certification – would schedule a certain amount of time each week to work with patients who wanted/needed a mental-health assessment. Soon after, she built a nurse-triage platform for mental healthcare to properly route anyone dealing with anxiety, depression or suicide. She now provides ‘curbside consults’ or full visits, answers questions on the phone or transfers patients to one of her therapeutic partners. Then the rest of her day is spent seeing children for their sick or well visits. “I like this split because I keep all of my skills sharp.”

Worth the Effort

Looking back over the last five years, Jennifer remembers the stress and time commitment to get this program off the ground, plus the trust she needed to earn from her team. “It all worked out. The provider and patient satisfaction has been astronomically positive,” she said, adding that her success caused a positive ripple effect within the hospital, with other branches looking to implement a nurse practitioner-led model. This is the first step in what she hopes is a widespread phenomenon. And for those health practitioners ready to take the plunge, Jennifer offers a three-pronged approach for getting started:

  1. Work with a Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
  2. Survey your team for their interest and ability to help make it a reality.
  3. Partner with your community.
Stepping Forward for Mental Health

Partnering is something Jennifer knows well – inside the office and out – especially when she Steps Forward in her advocacy for mental healthcare. She has teamed up with the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Foundation, serving on the board and speaking at industry conferences.

Reflecting back on why she started the program years ago, Jennifer said, “Teenagers come to me and divulge all this information. And there are a lot of barriers – maybe they don’t want to tell their parents or they don’t have the right insurance to get therapy or medication. But now, through this program, I can partner with them to successfully get treated for this. And they come back and say, ‘I’m in college now, thanks to you.’ That’s the reward.”

Ready to add DNP to your credentials? Learn more about Chamberlain's DNP program.

By Heather L Hurtado

More from Nursing Today

View all >
group of smiling nurses studying and collaborating
Are RN to BSN Nursing Programs Worth It?
Read more
Three male nurses smiling with their hands on each other's shoulders
6 Reasons Men Are Choosing a Career in Nursing
Read more
three nurses smile at the camera
What Are the 6 Cs of Nursing?
Read more
group of smiling nurses circled around the camera
Earning Your MSN in Texas
Read more
Show more >

Request More Information

To receive the Chamberlain University Program Guide, including associated career paths, please select a program of study.

Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Secondary Footer Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Student Portal Login

Main Campus
Addison Campus
1221 North Swift Road
Addison, IL 60101 

National Management Offices
233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800
Chicago, Illinois 60606

All Campus Locations
Contact

Footer Menu Column 1

  • Online Programs
  • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
  • Alumni Association
  • Chamberlain Marketplace
  • Military
  • Leadership
  • Catalog & Viewbook
  • Transcripts

Footer Menu Column 2

  • Student Portal
  • Student Consumer Info
  • Accreditation
  • Parent Organization
  • CA Performance Fact Sheets
  • CA BPPE Annual Report
  • CA BPPE Website
  • Cost of Attendance

Footer Menu Column 3

  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility
  • Student Disability Services
  • Office of Nondiscrimination and Access
RELATED CONTENT
  • Reaching Out: Chamberlain Alumna Champions...
  • Finding a Way to Juggle School and Mom Duties...
  • The GiFT That Keeps on Giving: Chamberlain...

Footer Social Media Navigation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

2025 Chamberlain University LLC. All rights reserved.

Footer Menu Line 1

  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • *Students who apply and qualify for the Aspiring Nurse Program must graduate from Chamberlain University’s BSN program, pass the NCLEX-RN, and fulfill employment obligations with SSM Health of up to four years to receive loan repayment. Full coverage requires funding 100% of tuition and fees with student loans. Benefits such as loan repayments may be subject to taxes. 

    † Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Chamberlain University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, ccneaccreditation.org. The Chamberlain University Doctor of Nursing Practice (delivered via distance education) is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037. Chamberlain University’s Master of Public Health Program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, www.ceph.org. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation. Chamberlain University’s Master of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Board of Accreditation, www.cswe.org. Detailed accreditation information for Chamberlain’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) programs can be found at this link

    Certified to Operate by SCHEV. 

    To report unresolved complaints to the Illinois Board of Higher Education visit their webpage at https://complaints.ibhe.org/ or by mail to 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333, Springfield, IL 62701-1377. View Chamberlain's complaint process.

    Chamberlain University confers online degrees from its Main Campus in Addison, IL.

    Chamberlain University is a member of Adtalem Global Education Inc. www.adtalem.com
    ©2025 Chamberlain University LLC. All rights reserved.