After passing an examination and presenting a case reviewed by peers, the first Induction Ceremony took place in 1972 in West Orange. Ongoing peer supervision was a requirement. Eventually, the American Nurses Association took over the credentialing and titled Master's Prepared Psychiatric nurses as Clinical Specialists.
In 1983, Blue Cross/Blue Shield provided insurance coverage for Clinical Specialists. In 1994, the name changed to Advanced Practice Nurses and prescriptive authority was granted for psychotropic non-controlled substances. In August 2004, controlled substances were added to the list of psychotropics that could be prescribed.