Spotlight on 2025 APNA Annual Awards Recipients

Matthew Tierney, MS, CNS, ANP, PMHNP, CARN-AP, FAAN

Matthew Tierney is a pioneering force whose career has been defined by a relentless commitment to expanding the role of psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurses and improving access to substance use treatment. At his very core is a passionate dedication to dismantling barriers to care. Tierney shares that he sees obstacles, not as setbacks, but as “motor fuel,” propelling forward his determination to open more doors to treatment.

He explains,

“The heart of what I do as a nurse is I’m a door opener. And, if I don’t find a door to open, I try to make one. I think, how are we going to fit a door into this wall right now and figure out ways to innovate and advocate for better care where it’s needed.”

Following an impactful early career working with people who are unhoused, Tierney’s initial years in advance practice nursing occurred just as the opioid overdose epidemic was beginning and the FDA approved buprenorphine, a medication to treat opioid use disorder. With a combined desire to reach out to marginalized populations and leverage the new, effective treatment, he began his important work.

Tierney helped found, and for 13 years directed, the nation’s first clinic devoted to buprenorphine treatment initiation and stabilization – the Office-Based Buprenorphine Induction Clinic (OBIC) in San Francisco. This groundbreaking program has served as a model, informing similar programs across the U.S., and demonstrates the power of a PMH nurse-led, patient-centered approach to addiction care.

For 10 years, Tierney also served as teaching faculty for the federally-mandated education programs required for clinicians to receive waivers to prescribe buprenorphine, and initially available only to physicians. He explains, “It was a very interesting teaching role. I was teaching physicians to get their DEA waiver, but I couldn’t get the waiver myself. I was teaching something the federal government said I myself could not yet practice.”

To refine and expand the roles PMH advanced practice nurses (APRNs) provide in addiction treatment, Tierney’s advocacy was instrumental in achieving the passage of the Comprehensive Addition and Recovery (CARA) Act of 2016, which permitted PMH-APRNs to prescribe buprenorphine. As co-investigator on an NIH-funded research team, Tierney and colleagues then demonstrated that within one year of the passage of the legislation, the percentage of nurses with the necessary waiver to prescribe buprenorphine far surpassed that of physicians—solidifying APRNs as frontline leaders in opioid treatment.

In his other work, Tierney endeavored to define regional and institutional deficits in care, present those deficits to health systems leadership, and initiate addiction consult services both at San Francisco General Hospital and at UCSF Health at the University of California San Francisco.

With leadership that has always extended to mentoring and supporting PMH nurse colleagues, Tierney joined the UCSF nursing faculty where he taught addictions-related content to thousands of students and clinical providers, and precepted dozens of APRN learners. With a legacy that is evident in the success of the students, mentees and peers he has guided, his role in developing key educational programs has empowered countless nurses to lead in the treatment of addiction.

As a result of his deep experience, Tierney was tapped to launch and serve as inaugural chair of the APNA Addictions Council. He went on to lead the development of new opioid education modules to train PMH nurses. He shares, “we created an extensive online, opioid education program made available to nurses free of charge.

Today, tens of thousands of nurses nationwide have accessed those opioid education modules, and I’m very proud of that.”

Tierney went on to serve as APNA President during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been a prominent advocate for the inclusion of PMH nurses in national-level discussions about mental health and substance use. Serving as the APNA representative on the National Academies Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, Tierney has represented the PMH nursing profession in high-level discussions with SAMHSA, non-governmental organizations, and policymakers – to ensure PMH nurse voices are included at the national level.

His vision has also had national ramifications. His published works, such as “Transforming Mental Health and Addiction Services” in Health Affairs and “Enhancing Engagement Between Legislators and Nursing to Increase Buprenorphine Access” in Nursing Outlook, reflect his dedication to advocating for comprehensive, equitable, and effective mental health and addiction services. Through his ongoing public speaking and educational outreach, Tierney has influenced thousands of PMH nurses, always enthusiastically sharing his expertise, connections, and advocating for system-wide improvements to care.

“It’s been really gratifying to see so much nurse-driven progress.

PMH nurses are just poised to do this work. It’s in our bloodstream and part of our ethic to bring treatment wherever it’s needed.

Years ago at UCSF, Beth Phoenix said to me, ‘the jobs you will have don’t even exist yet’ – and she was right. Today, I say the same to my students.

Ours is such a dynamic, ever growing field. Today’s students will also create new roles and be the first to hold them, and that is really exciting.”

Cornelius Metili, BSN, RN, PMH-BC

“When we step back and meet patients where they are, treating them first and foremost as human beings, we honor their dignity—and dignity itself becomes a powerful intervention.

By individualizing care and engaging their humanity, we not only connect more deeply, but also create the conditions for better outcomes.”

Over the last five years, Cornelius Metili has worked in hospitals across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, collaborating with Behavioral Emergency Response Teams to integrate and embed the Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMH) nurse role on medical floors caring for patients with psychiatric comorbidities.

Cornelius Metili is a nurse leader who has played a key role in supporting and developing nurses in the specialized work of responding to behavioral emergencies. In some settings, he has led these teams; in others, he serves collaborator and mentor, advancing best practices in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and advocating effectively within multidisciplinary teams. Through both leadership and collaboration, Metili has helped grow and strengthen the Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMH) nursing role, expanding awareness of its specialized expertise and vital contributions. His work has expanded use of proven strategies that reduce restraint use, curb workplace violence, and challenge stigma.

Known for his compassion and innovative approach to care, Metili champions children with mental health needs, focusing on building strong connections with patients and their parents. He shares,

“When kids come to the hospital in crisis, they’re learning how to be consumers of mental health services. If I can make that experience free of judgment and non-punitive, they’re more likely to return for help rather than delay care the next time they’re in crisis.”

Beyond his own work, Metili seeks opportunities to inspire and educate non-psychiatric hospital staff to set aside bias and stigma when working with patients who present with mental health needs. He further extends care beyond the hospital walls by contributing to a variety of community advocacy efforts that support the underserved, homeless, and families navigating loss.

Serving on the APNA Texas Chapter Board for eight years, and most recently as Immediate Past President, Metili works to support and mentor new nurses as they begin careers in PMH nursing. He also actively delivers innovative thinking to improve patient care as a member of the APNA Council for Safe Environments Steering Committee and through yearly presentations on workplace violence prevention, de-escalation, and recovery-oriented care at the APNA Annual Conference.

He says, “A big part of psych nursing is advocating for your patients, finding ways to better individualize their care plan, and making sure they have avenues to actively participate in their treatment.

To me, it’s all about the connection – it’s a very meaningful and fulfilling profession.”

Maxine Smalling, MS, RN

“People living with mental illness have aspirations and dreams just like us all. They are just as deserving, as other individuals in the general population, of the highest quality of healthcare. Advocating for PMH nurses, and the resources they need, allows us to keep our eyes on the prize – providing the highest quality of care for individuals living with a mental illness,” says Maxine Smalling.

Smalling’s vision and passionate advocacy for psychiatric-mental health (PMH) nurses has enhanced the lives and careers of the more than 2,200 nurses working within the 25 facilities governed by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), and ensured patients in the state receive exceptional care.

Serving as Chief Executive Nursing Officer for the New York State Office of Mental Health, Smalling oversees psychiatric practice for State operated hospitals and community programs. She shares, “When I first began in this role, I had to make an assessment of the landscape.

It became clear that we had to quickly work on professional development and resources for our nurses.”

Smalling’s leadership resulted in several key investments in PMH nurses throughout the state. She partnered with APNA to offer the APNA Transitions in Practice Certificate Program to onboard nurses. She invested deeply in professional development and career pathways, establishing OMH’s Nurse Residency Program to provide ongoing learning to newly hired nurses to increase knowledge specific to psychiatric nursing practice, improve clinical competence, decision-making, ensure consistent use of evidence-based practices, hone critical thinking skills, and reduce turnover within first year of hire. Smalling also recently launched the agency’s inaugural Nurse Practitioner (NP) Fellowship Program to provide training and mentorship to increase NP competency and confidence as independent providers of care. To recognize the invaluable contributions of OMH nurses, their lifesaving work during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their ongoing efforts to improve safety and quality of care, Smalling implemented the annual OMH nursing awards ceremony. She also continues to actively advocate for and support the annual nursing educational conference, which affords nurses opportunities for ongoing learning around new evidenced informed practices to better meet the complex and emerging needs of their patients. Smalling also lead the adoption of Caring Science theory as the framework for nursing practice throughout all of the agency’s hospitals and programs.

Her proudest achievement to date, however, has significantly improved the recruitment and retention of the best nurses in the state. Smalling worked with other state agencies, nursing leaders, human resources, and civil service colleagues to restructure nursing titles to increase their civil service grade and achieve historic salary raises and employment packages – bringing OMH PMH nurse state salaries in line with those in the private sector. She says, “I am laser focused all the time on two things – high quality patient care and advocacy for our nursing staff.

To me, it’s critically important our nurses feel valued.

Which is why our salary enhancements, professional development, standardization of practice, and use of new electronic tools and technologies are all in service of attracting and retaining highly skilled nurses that deliver the best patient care.”

Smalling’s deep commitment to PMH nurse mentorship and career development is evident in all she has built for OMH nurses. She says, “I am excited by challenges. When an obstacle is in the way, you work through them with diligence and hard work. You learn a lot, foster growth, competence, knowledge, and it opens doors to innovation.

Challenges drive us to great success if we do the work and stay singularly focused on the best care for our patients.”

Joanne Patterson, DNP, MSN, PMHNP-BC

To Joanne Patterson, challenges are simply golden opportunities for innovation. She explains, “As nurses, we see a need and we fill it. I started as an OB nurse working with high-risk mothers. I saw gaps in mental health services, especially in the postpartum time period when anxiety, depression and OCD can occur.

I saw the need for mental health resources and thought, I’m going to be that person. So, I went back to school to become a psych nurse practitioner (NP).”

While pursuing her PMH-NP certification and doctorate, Patterson became a clinical informatics expert, serving as a super user trainer and Director of Nursing Informatics implementing electronic health records for a large health system. She went on to become Assistant Professor in Health Care Informatics at the University of North Georgia. For her final DNP project, entitled, “Mobile Mental Health Adoption Among Providers and Patients: The Nursing Informatics Role, Patterson leveraged her informatics experience blended with her passion for mental health care.

Upon graduation, in 2019, Patterson began her psychiatric-mental health (PMH) NP practice and focused her work on reproductive and pediatric psychiatry. A new opportunity for innovation came following the COVID-19 pandemic, when Patterson saw a need to do her work with women and children differently. She took the warm, cozy care model from OB practice and applied it to create a mobile mental health unit to reach patients where they are. Nurse Practitioners on Wheels® is a tiny house transformed into a cozy, 200 square foot, mobile clinic that focuses on reproductive psychiatry and maternal mental health. In 2022, her vision came to life, and she began traveling across Georgia seeing people where they live and work.

In 2023, Care Source Medicaid of Georgia reached out to Patterson with interest in her mobile clinic and Patterson joined their Wellness on Wheels (WOW) program. Through this partnership, the Nurse Practitioners on Wheels mobile clinic appeared at a wide variety of health fairs, schools, Boys & Girls Club locations and health clinics for the uninsured or underinsured, caring for more than 15,000 patients. The story of her cozy, mobile mental health clinic was picked up by several press outlets, and soon after, her story went viral. Patterson was invited to appear on the Kelly Clarkson Show, where she was surprised with a $10,000 donation from BetterHelp online therapy to support her important work.

In addition to her work with the mobile clinic, Patterson continues private practice work. She leverages telepsychiatry to provide expanded access to mental health care. While headquartered and seeing patients in Georgia, she also works with patients in Maryland, Washington, DC, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

She encourages others to, “Stay passionate and innovative. Embrace your unique skills and perspective.

Don’t be afraid to challenge traditional models of care, build strong collaborations, and remember that even small innovations can create a significant ripple effect.”

Kathryn E. Phillips, PhD, APRN, CHSE

Sparked by a fascination with the mind-body connection, Kathryn Phillips was called to a career in research and academia. She shares,

“I’ve always been interested in resilience. How can we help people overcome the challenges they face and thrive to be their best.”

Phillips’ work began with a dissertation studying brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which is involved in brain plasticity. BDNF levels may be impacted by lifestyle and behaviors, like exercise and nutrition, having an impact on how the brain grows and differentiates. Her work was applied to eating disorders, learning how people can use their body’s natural abilities through diet, or through serotonin enhancing medication, to improve how they’re feeling and coping. This work has contributed to the growing literature on biomarkers in eating disorders.

Today, as a Professor at Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies, Phillips splits her time teaching students in the master’s and doctoral programs alongside her active research. As Principal Investigator of a $2.6 million grant from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW), Phillips has developed a program to study and test resilience building in advanced practice nursing students and their patients. The grant provides tuition support to train the next generation of PMH-NPs and FNPs and funds the development and testing of resilience modules integrated throughout the curriculum to help improve PMH-NP practice and patient outcomes. She says, “We’ve received incredible feedback from students and preceptors, with clinical partners also sharing how it’s already helping patients. The students are now asking for it, saying it’s helping them personally and professionally.

It’s been this blossoming practice of spreading different resilience skills to improve well-being.”

Phillips also continues her research related to post-traumatic growth and eating disorders. She was Co-Principal Investigator on three published studies evaluating the norms of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), and on a qualitative study of post traumatic growth in individuals who were recovered or recovering from an eating disorder.

As an award-winning professor teaching courses in the PMH-NP and DNP programs at Fairfield University, Phillips has mentored 24 DNP students who have graduated and 6 currently working through the program. She has also mentored 4 DNP students all the way through to the publication of their work.

“I especially enjoy supporting nurses’ scholarship and increasing evidence for nursing practice. Often, bedside nurses have great innovations, but they haven’t ever collected evidence. They just need somebody to mentor them and tell them, ‘gather the evidence, you can use that to impact practice on a much larger scale or make quality improvements’.

I love being a champion for nurses at all levels.”

For her own scholarship, Phillips has published more than 30 peer reviewed papers in nursing journals, 11 studies on disordered eating, and 7 studies on building resilience in nursing students. She also serves as Associate Chair for the APNA Research and Scholarship Council and as an editorial board member for the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (JAPNA).