Service and Program Updates
Pictured above: Aurelian Niculescu, MD reviewing PPE donning and doffing with Inpatient Medicine in Psychiatry provider Cyrus Salehi, PA. 

For the latest news regarding service changes, resources for patients and families, and updates, please visit our new Mental Health and Wellness COVID-19 information page. 

In response to recent developments surrounding the COVID-19 virus, our programs have implemented several changes to services. 

In order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission to our patients, we are screening our clients by phone before appointments and at doors when they arrive to assess risk of infection.We currently have a team of telepsychiatry experts and leaders working to take advantage of the new options for telehealth for some of our most at risk patients with plans to implement across our services as we learn more about the process.

Several community events, including our monthly Opioid Overdose Prevention Training Program and the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Performance Series in our main atrium, have also been canceled until further notice. In addition, the Family Lounge sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester is closed until further notice. 

Psychiatry Experts Discuss Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Kenya Malcolm, PhD recently spoke with Jennifer Johnson about how parents can manage and discuss the COVID-19 situation with their children. READ MORE>>>
• E.J. Santos, MD spoke with Samra Brouke in a Virtual Community Town Hall about taking care of older adults during times of social isolation and diminished resources. 
• Michael Scharf, MD joined Elizabeth Murray, DO for a discussion on how to prevent accidental and intentional poisonings in children and youth.
• George Nasra, MD, MBA spoke with CITY Newspaper on the importance of creating new routines in the "new normal" of the COVID19 virus.
• Eric Caine, MD and Yeates Conwell, MD appeared on Connections to discuss supporting people who may be isolated during the pandemic. 
• Eric Caine, MD discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide risk in USA TODAY. 
• Patrick Seche, M.S. and Peer-recovery specialist Kelly Quinn spoke with News 8 WROC Rochester and Spectrum News on the importance of promoting social networks in individuals with substance use disorder and chemical dependency. Seche also discussed ways our Strong Recovery clinic is making sure our patients remain connected during social distancing mandates.
• Department of Psychiatry Advisory Council of Consumers (DPACC) members offer their words of wisdom and advice in maintaining mental health during this health crisis. 

URMC COVID-19 Support Hotline Seeking Volunteers
We will soon be announcing the creation of the URMC COVID-19 Support Hotline which will serve as a central hub for providing information, support and referrals to available resources to our nurses, doctors, trainees and care team members and hospital staff. The hotline is seeking mental health professionals, Masters level or non-mental health professionals or RNs with background and/or comfort level in crisis management, and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner students to volunteer to provide phone support. For questions and information, please contact Stephanie Schmidt. 

Psychiatry Grand Rounds Going Digital for Spring 2020
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, scheduled Grand Rounds speakers have been canceled and will be rescheduled for another time when we are again allowed to bring outside speakers to URMC. In the meantime, our chair and faculty will be stepping in to hold Psychiatry Cyber Town Halls via Zoom for the forseeable future to keep all Department members up to date regarding our responses to COVID-19 . These “Cyber-Town Halls” will be hosted from the studio of the Laboratory of Behavioral Health Skills, our resource for hands-on learning and competence assessment. READ MORE>>>

A Gift From Across the World
Dr. Fang Li, a visiting professor hosted by Eric Caine, MD in Fall 2019, recently sent over an incredible care package to Psychiatry including 400 sterile surgical masks to protect our clinical staff during the COVID-19 outbreak. With the number of cases of COVID-19 increasing in the United States, Dr. Li decided it was essential to send these supplies from her hometown of Shenzhen, China with two more boxes on their way! Thank you, Dr. Li, for your generous donation! 

Psychiatry APA Faculty & Alumni Reception Cancelled
In response to recent developments surrounding the pandemic spread of coronavirus, the APA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia and the UR Department of Psychiatry Faculty & Alumni Reception has been cancelled. Please stay tuned to our Alumni Connections website for updates and future events.

Psychiatry Joins Annual NAMI Walks for 2020
The Department of Psychiatry will once again be joining the annual
NAMIWalks Rochester on May 30, 2020! This year's walk will be held virtually, and you can walk your own way this year while supporting the mental health services. Four teams from Psychiatry will be walking- Psychiatry Ambulatory Nurses/Techs, Department of Psychiatry Advisory Council of Consumers (DPACC), 3-9000, and Psychiatric Emergency- to support NAMI Rochester's services. You can join our walking teams or contribute to our teams' donation goals by searching for the team name on the NAMIWalks Rochester website.

USA Today Article Discusses Suicide-Specific Training for Therapists
Anthony Pisani, PhD spoke with USA TODAY about the need for active and ongoing training for mental health personnel around the subject of suicide. READ MORE>>>

Wilfred Pigeon Discusses PTSD in Interview Series

Wilfred Pigeon, PhD, Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, recently spoke about his work with post-traumatic stress disorder as part of an interview series by the National Center for PTSD. Stay tuned for the full series soon! 

Wayne County Student Raises Money for Youth Suicide Prevention

Kiley Griffin, a student at Wayne Central High School recently completed a fundraiser that raised $1500 to support youth suicide prevention as part of her senior project. The money raised will support the Center for the Study of Suicide Prevention in their mission to reducing injuries and deaths associated with attempted and completed suicide.

Leadership Changes In Psych Nursing
Effective March 2020, Julie Colvin,MS, RN-BC has resigned from her position as Director of Nursing for Psychiatry. During this transition, Keri Cockman, RNC, MS, Director of Nursing for OB/GYN, will be the acting Director of Nursing for Psychiatry. Laura Inclema, MS, RN-BC, Assistant Director of Nursing for Ambulatory Psychiatry, will continue to provide leadership for ambulatory nursing and will also support Keri as she provides leadership for the inpatient nurse managers.  

Trans Affirming Care Across the Lifespan ​Co-learning Day

In March, our Psychology Internship & Fellowship program trainees joined supervisors in our department and University Counseling Center for a "Trans Affirming Care Across the Lifespan" training day. Panelists discussed topics such as health care disparities in LGBT+ populations and gender-affirming mental healthcare for transgender and gender diverse adults.