On September 23rd, URMC hosted a successful job fair at Frontier Field. Our nurses represented the Department of Psychiatry at this event. In the midst of the pandemic, our nurses have been focused not only on taking care of our patients and their families, but also on retention, wellness, and recruiting.  

Celebrating National Case Management Week
National Case Management Week starts October 10th through October 16th! This week is a time to celebrate case management and transitions of care professionals for the good work they do each and every day. In addition, October 13th marks ACM Recognition Day, a day dedicated to recognizing Accredited Case Managers and those in the process of receiving their ACM certification. Please join us in recognizing our care managers for their hard work! READ MORE>>>

Taking Suicide Out of the Darkness

"Loss survivors continue to need support well after a suicide death occurs," says Steven Schonfeld, MD.

September marked Suicide Prevention Month, a time to remember those affected by suicide, to raise awareness, and to focus efforts on directing treatment to those who need it most. A recent endowed donation from Dr. Schonfeld, a 1974 graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, will support the science and study of suicide prevention through our Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide. READ MORE>>>

Kenna's Fight Fundraiser Supports Local Mental Health Resources
Join Kenna's Fight at Homesteads For Hope on October 9th for a night of music and hope in support of local suicide prevention and mental health resources including NAMI Rochester, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention- Western New York Chapter, and our very own UR Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness programs. Buy your tickets online at the Kenna's Fight website or at the door! 
 

Psychiatry Faculty Among Awardees for Roc STAR Pilot Awards
The Rochester Roybal Center for Social Ties and Aging Research, a research center focused on promoting the social well-being and healthy aging of those caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia, recently announced the recipients of their 2021 pilot awards. Among the awardees are research teams led by three Psychiatry faculty- Kimberly Van Orden, PhD, Caroline Silva, PhD, and Autumn Gallegos, PhD- who will be researching psychotherapy to promote social connectedness among caregivers, culturally tailoring interventions for Hispanic and Latino caregivers, and smartphone apps for mindfulness training for older adult caregivers, respectively. READ MORE>>>

Re-Introducing the Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention
Veteran's Day is just around the corner, and you may be thinking about how to support veterans during this time. The Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention has compiled a list of resources related to veterans suicide prevention, including Start the Conversation, a comprehensive toolkit on how to address common challenges veterans face, here.

The Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention was started in 2007 by the Department of Veteran's Affairs with the goal of reducing the morbidity and mortality of suicide and self-directed violence in the veteran community. The Center researches the development and use of evidence-based prevention strategies to alter life trajectories prior to the development of suicidal behaviors. Check out the latest newsletter from the Center here. 

Webinar on the Cycle of Violence, Victimization, and Trauma
The TRANSFORM Research Center will be hosting a free virtual panel, The Cycle of Violence, Victimization, and Trauma: Exploring Mechanisms for Thriving and Healing for BIPOC People and Providers, on October 14, 2021 from 12-1 PM. This panel includes three clinician scholars who will give “lightning talks” on Black males’ experiences with trauma, Latinx providers’ vicarious trauma, and healing centered interventions with Black girls. To register for the live event, click here. To register to receive a recording of the event and presentation materials, click here.

Mark Oldham Presents John D. Baum Memorial Lecture

Mark Oldham, PhD presented the John D. Baum Memorial Lecture at the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center's 35th Annual Conference: Spanning the Continuum of Care: Innovations in the Practice of Age-Friendly Care. This year's conference discussed the Age-Friendly Health Systems model and its focus on the "4Ms Framework"- What Matters, Medications, Mobility, and Mentation. Dr. Oldham's presentation focused on how delirium is essential when considering the 4Ms Framework because delirium powerfully impacts each of the 4 Ms. 

Dr. Oldham says, "No health system can be 'Age-Friendly' without a coherent, coordinated approach to delirium prevention and management." 

Managing Anxiety Going Back to School
With students returning for in-person classes this Fall, this back-to-school season can be a bit stressful. Melissa Heatly, PhD of Golisano Children's Hospital and Shaun Nelms, EdD of East High School, alongside Leah Hill of our Strong Recovery program, gave tips on how families, students, and teachers can work together to make the return to school this year positive and fun. READ MORE>>>

Helping Your Student With Back-To-School Mental Health

Susan McDaniel, PhD, Director of our Institute for the Family, spoke with News 8 WROC Rochester on how best to help students transition back to school amidst new stressors such as COVID-19. READ MORE>>>

Beyond Delirium: The Neuropsychiatric Dimensions of COVID-19
Mark Oldham, PhD was the author on the Network for Investigation of Delirium's blog discussing the neuropsychiatric aspects of COVID-19 including the effects of Long-COVID as well as stress related to the pandemic. Dr. Oldham also outlined steps for engaging the neuropsychiatric impact of COVID-19. READ MORE>>>

Mental Illness and Suicide Among Physicians
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fact that doctors are not immune to mental health challenges. Susan McDaniel, PhD and Michael Privitera, MS, MD joined Ronald Epstein, MD of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry to talk about the need for interventions to better protect the mental wellbeing of physicians. READ MORE>>>

Golisano Hospital Offers Mental Health Care to Reach More Children

Linda Alpert-Gillis, PhD spoke with 13WHAM News, on the one-year anniversary of the Golisano Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness Building at 1860 South Avenue and how programs are working to meet an increasing need for pediatric mental health services. READ MORE>>>

Thank You to All That Attended Hispanic Heritage Celebration Day!

If you went to Grupo Cultural Latinos En Rochester, Inc. and Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester's Hispanic Heritage Celebration Day in September, you may have noticed some familiar faces! Telva Olivares, MD and Caroline Silva, PhD joined the celebration repping their Panamanian and Colombian heritage with their countries' national dress!

Childcare in the Court System and a Life-Long Passion for Foster Care
In the newest episode of the TRANSFORM Research Center's Promoting Resilience podcast, Catherine Cerulli, JD, PhD chatted with Eileen Whitney of the Monroe County Family Court Children's Center on how children and families are supported in a court based daycare program and the barriers they face. READ MORE>>>

September Psychiatry Publications 

• Several Psychiatry researchers were authors on a case study examining our Healing through Health, Education, Advocacy and Law (HEAL) Collaborative as an example of a biopsychosocial approach to addressing family and intimate partner violence and abuse. 
• Robert Q. Pollard Jr., PhD published a paper in Interpreting and Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal examining cortisol dysregulation in ASL interpreters in different work settings and what it might mean for health risks and burnout for those in the field.
• Catherine Glenn, PhD published a paper examining thwarted belongingness with family and friends as a potential factor linking interpersonal negative life events to suicidal thoughts in youth. 
• Mark Nickels, MD was a coauthor on a paper with University of Rochester Medical Center and St. John Fisher College faculty examining a new tool, the Rochester Relapse Risk Scale, to predict substance relapse in liver transplant candidates.
• Eric Caine, MD was a coauthor on this paper from the Education Development Center and Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment looking at the Colorado National Collaborative, a real-world test of the public health approach to suicide prevention by helping community groups deliver evidence-informed activities.
• Wilfred R. Pigeon, PhD and Michelle Carr, PhD were both co-authors in a paper analyzing the influences your dreams may have on your morning mood.
• Anton P. Porsteinsson, MD was a coauthor on a clinical trial looking at whether methylphenidate was associated with a decrease in apathy symptoms in those with Alzehimer's Disease.
• Paul Geha, MD is a co-author on this study examining how recent technology can help quantify clinically relevant facets of human behavior.
• Thomas O' Connor, PhD was a coauthor on this study on how inadequate and excessive micronutrients effect pregnancy outcomes across demographics. 
• Thomas O'Connor, PhD was a coauthor on this Epidemiology paper examining the relationship between childhood asthma and risk of obesity, and whether asthma medication may help with obesity prevention among children with asthma.
• Peter Wyman, PhD and Karen Schmeelk-Cone, PhD are coauthors on this paper looking at social network factors in teens associated with perpetrating sexual violence and how best to address sexual violence prevention.

Upcoming Events

• Oct. 9: You Are Not Alone: A Night of Music and Hope Fundraiser
• Oct. 10-Oct. 16: National Care Management Week
• Oct. 13:  Department of Psychiatry John Romano Clinical Rounds
• Oct. 14: The Cycle of Violence, Victimization, and Trauma
• Oct. 15: 10th Annual Bernard Guyer Lecture 
• Oct. 20: The Crisis of Human Service Delivery, Chronic Organizational Stress and Ideas About What To Do About It
• Oct. 27: Use of "Big Data" to Measure Value of Behavioral Health Care
• Nov. 6: 2nd Annual Black Mental Wellness Virtual Conference