Note from the editor: Our last month's newsletter incorrectly listed the wrong month for "June Psychiatry Publications." This section has since been corrected to "July Psychiatry Publications" online. We apologize for the confusion. 

Jerard Johnson Named Associate Coordinator for Racial Justice Initiatives
Jerard Johnson has recently been named the Associate Coordinator for Racial Justice Initiatives in Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness. Jerard has made many contributions in the area of racial justice and equality by co-facilitating the GRACE group for youth of color and working on the Monroe County Office of Mental Health Cultural and Linguistic Committee. Please join us in recognizing Jerard for the contributions that he will be providing to this important work group.

Letter from DICE Office and Office of the Chair Regarding Daniel Prude
The DICE Office and Dr. Ben Lee once again in less than two weeks, are writing you in the wake of the shocking and inexcusable death, this time in our very own community, of yet another black man, Daniel Prude. Viewing yet another horrific video of a Black man killed during a police encounter is especially traumatic for our Black co-workers and patients who have endured the ravages of racism throughout their lifetimes.

Together with President Mangelsdorf and URMC leadership, we too must consider "whether we are doing enough, whether we are working quickly enough, and whether we are being effective enough" to find our way towards a more just and inclusive department and community.

We continue to stand together with the university community in denouncing racism and all acts of violence and we commit to taking action to help our community heal and rise, ever stronger, from the damage of structural racism. During these devastating times and in solidarity, please remember to reach out to your colleagues and friends who will also be affected by this indefensible event. 

5th Annual Symposium on Behavioral Health Integration Goes Virtual
The Department of Psychiatry Collaborative Care and Wellness Division will be hosting the 5th Annual Symposium on Behavioral Health Integration virtually throughout the month of October! This year's symposium, Treatment on Demand and the Ecosystem of Recovery: Helping Patients and Communities Recover from the Opioid Crisis, will feature experts every week discussing challenges and strategies for addressing the opioid epidemic, with a focus on rural communities. Register for this free event today! 

Kathryn Castle Named New Chief of Psychology 
Kathryn Castle, PhD has been appointed as the new Chief of Psychology as of October 1, 2020.  She succeeds Deborah King, PhD who retires from this position and becomes Professor Emeritus on September 31. As Chief of Psychology, Castle will oversee the recruitment, credentialing, compensation, evaluation, and development of psychologists in tour department. Furthermore, she will represent the discipline of psychology to the leadership of the department, the medical center, and national organizations. Congratulations to Dr. Castle for her new leadership position!

Amali Epa-Llop Receives Satcher Award
Amali Epa-Llop, PhD has been awarded the Satcher Community Health Improvement Staff Award in honor of her work with the Women’s Initiative Supporting Health (WISH). In her role, she utilizes extensive community outreach to support WISH’s mission of implementing responsive strategies to address the broad health needs of women involved in the justice system. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Epa-Llop on this well-deserved achievement! READ MORE>>>

Welcome to our new Faculty Members! 
We're happy to welcome eight new faculty members to the Department of Psychiatry family. The following have joined the department in faculty roles this past summer: Emily Clarke, DO, Tom Jacob, DO, Samantha Kamp, MD, Maura Tappen, MD, Leah Rothschild, PhD, Conrad Gleber, MD, Myra Mathis, MD, and Joy Choi, MD. 

Community Conversation Series Focuses on Youth Mental Health 
Aparajita “Tuma” Kuriyan, PhD and our Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness Services will be hosting monthly webinars focused on youth mental health as part of the Community Conversation Series. If you missed the first community conversation last month, you can watch a recording of the event here on Youtube. The next webinar will take place on September 24th and will focus on effective ways to communicate with schools in order promote student success. Register online.

The following sessions will occur on October 22nd and December 3rd.

Diversity Committee Connects Residents to Advocacy Opportunities
Emilie Transue, MD and Carla Velarde, MD have recently started the Resident Advocacy and Diversity Committee. The committee is a collective of residents and fellows dedicated to connecting residents with advocacy opportunities and mentors, to learn about how different issues like racism affect mental health, and to create a safe space to explore these topics with each other. 

Child Maltreatment and Resilience​ Webinar
Youth who are maltreated might face a number of difficulties in the classroom, including social and emotional problems. Join Erinn Duprey, PhD and Melissa Heatly, PhD in a webinar on September 17 discussing how to recognize the consequences of child maltreatment as well as methods to foster resilience in students. Register online. 

Michele Lawrence, Mongkae Siripornsawan Named Health Care Heroes
Michele Lawrence, MBA and Mongkae Siripornsawan, MD recently received Rochester Business Journal's Health Care Heroes award in a virtual ceremony after being named as award honorees earlier this year. Please join us in recognizing Michele and Mongkae for their contributions to community leadership, innovation, and mentoring.

Reel Minds Film Festival Honors Suicide Prevention Week

Yeates Conwell, MD will join filmmaker Gabe Nathan and Kristina Mossgraber
of NAMI Rochester for a virtual screening and panel of Nathan's A Beautiful Day Tomorrow in honor of National Suicide Prevention Week. This event is part of the Reel Mind Theatre & Film Series featuring films, performances and discussions that address the social stigma of mental illness and behavioral disorders while providing a message of hope that recovery is possible. To register for the event, please contact Ruth Cowing. READ MORE>>>

Webinar Explores Telemedicine as Path to Maintaining Recovery
Holly Russell, MD and Michele Lawrence, MBA of the UR Medicine Recovery Center for Excellence will be holding a webinar on September 25 discussing how telemedicine can be used to support people with opioid use disorder in maintaining pharmacotherapy and recovery in rural communities. Register online. 

Best Practices for Youth Education During COVID-19 
The URMC Expanded School Mental Health team has recently partnered with the Children's Institute and the Society for the Protection and Care of Children to create two new publications for educational professionals on recommendations to support student social-emotional development and mental health in the midst of COVID-19. READ MORE>>>

Psychiatry Residency Now on Instagram
We're excited to share that our Psychiatry Residency Program is now on Instagram! Follow our trainees as they share highlights from their programs and their time in Rochester! READ MORE>>>

Psychiatry in the News

• Melissa Heatly, PhD spoke with Children's Mental Health Network about organizing community partnerships and advocating for pediatric behavioral health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Anton Portsteinsson, PhD spoke with Rochester Beacon on a recent study looking at the prevention of Alzheimer’s in its early stages.

August Psychiatry Publications 

• Judy Thompson, PhD led a study in Psychopharmacology on the relationship between dopamine release and schizotypal personality disorder.
• Anton Porsteinsson, MD and Emily Clark, DO wrote an editorial commentary in the Journal of Prevention in Alzheimer’s Disease discussing the Trial-Ready Cohort for Preclinical/ Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease (TRC-PAD) Project for Alzheimer's Disease prevention.

Upcoming Events

• Sept. 9: A Beautiful Day Tomorrow Screening and Talkback Panel
• Sept. 17: Child Maltreatment And Resilience: From Science To Schools
• Sept: 18: COVID-19: It Shouldn’t Have to Take a Pandemic to Rediscover Public Health
• Sep. 24: Partnering with Schools During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
• Sept. 25: Bridging the Gap Webinar
• Oct. 2: Opioid Addiction in Rural America
• Oct. 2: Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Housing in Rural Communities
• Oct. 22: What to Expect when Looking for and Getting Behavioral Health Services for Children and Teens
• Dec. 3: What you Need to Know about Deciding If and When To Use Medication for Behavioral Health Challenges in Youth