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Message Regarding Recent Events from the Department of Psychiatry Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity
The Department of Psychiatry Office of Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity recently released a statement in response to the racially motivated mass shooting that occurred in Buffalo on May 14th. For those looking for a way to help victims of Saturday’s shooting, the University of Rochester has compiled a list of fundraisers and food drives in the Buffalo area here. If you are feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to turn to, please consider reaching out to some of our local, statewide and national resources listed below. READ MORE>>>
Not more than two weeks after the events in Buffalo, we also find ourselves mourning in response to yet another instance of mass violence- this time at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and acquaintances of the victims, their families and to the respective communities for the senseless loss of lives and the loss of peace they are facing. Our Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness Services have compiled a list of resources for strategies for talking with children about school shootings here.
This Month's Happenings
National Rural Substance Use Disorder Health Equity and Stigma Summit Wraps Up
On May 20th, we wrapped up our UR Medicine Recovery Center of Excellence's National Rural Substance Use Disorder Health Equity and Stigma Summit. Thank you to everyone who attended virtually and in-person, and thank you to all our presenters. Stay tuned to the Recovery Center of Excellence's website for recordings of the sessions. Pictured above is Beth Macy, author of New York Times bestseller Dopesick, talking about the overdose crisis: how we got here, what the barriers are to fixing it and, specifically, how to erase stigma from the conversation.
Congratulations to All Our Graduates!
A big congratulations to all those that graduated this past month, including grads from our Marriage and Family Therapy Training Program pictured here! We are so excited to see your next steps!
Thank You for Participating in Day of Giving!
A big thank you to all those that donated yesterday through the University of Rochester's Day of Giving! Through your contributions, UR Medicine Mental Health and Wellness reached $2,117 going towards child mental health care, suicide prevention programs, substance use recovery, schizophrenia care, and care for neurodegenerative diseases. If you missed our Day of Giving, you can still check out our giving page!
Celebrating Nurses Week in Psychiatry
From May 6th to May 12th, we celebrated National Nurse's Week and the work that all the nurses in our department do everyday. Vouchers were given out to 75 nurses for free lunch from Rob's Kabob food truck. Aside from the lunch vouchers, seven Baskets and 200 items were given to the nurses.
In addition, we also invited members of our department to share stories and words of appreciation for the nurses in their lives on social media and on digital screens throughout the department. READ MORE>>>
Thank You for Another Great NAMI Walks Rochester
A big thank you to all the faculty, staff, and students that joined us on May 21st for NAMI Roc's 10th Annual Rochester NAMI Walks as well as everyone who stopped by to chat with us at our table beforehand! A special shoutout goes out Lisa Fox, Laura Inclema, MS, RN, and Mary Jo Newcomb, RN who ran our table, and our team leaders throughout the department. Even though this year's walk is over, you can still support NAMI ROC's services through our fundraiser for them. READ MORE>>>
Biopsychosocial Innovations in Community Partnerships Webinar Now Online
Thank you to everyone who joined us on May 26th for our 75th Anniversary Webinar: Biopsychosocial Innovations in Community Partnerships! If you missed this event, you can view the webinar recording above. Thank you also to all our presenters who spoke at the event. Our next webinar will take place on August 30th and will feature Hochang Ben Lee, MD, John Romano Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, as he outlines a vision for the future of our department and together reimagine the biopsychosocial model to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Register for this webinar here.
Reel Minds Theatre and Film Series Returns for 2022
The Reel Minds Theatre and Film Series, Rochester's premiere film and theater festival dedicated to addressing the social stigma of mental illness and behavioral disorders, will be returning this summer! Tune in virtually on June 10th at noon to hear Ruth Cowing and Larry Guttmacher, MD, co-founders of the Reel Minds Film Festival, as well as Sonia Hadchiti, Co-director of the series, discuss the origins of this unique film festival and introduce the upcoming 2022 series. READ MORE>>>
Psychiatry in the News
Talking to Your Kids About the Uvalde School Shooting
Anthony Pisani, PhD spoke with WHEC TV with advice for parents that are struggling to talk to their kids about the recent events at Uvalde, Texas. READ MORE>>>
URMC Creating Area's First Walk-In Mental Health Center for Youth
Michael Scharf, MD talked with 13 WHAM ABC and WHEC about a first-of-its-kind walk-in mental health center for children and teens opening at our Strong Hospital location later this year. This mental health center will provide family-centered services for youth up to age 18 and be located next to the Family Lounge sponsored by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester, NY Inc. READ MORE>>>
Discussing the Overdose Crisis and How It Specifically Affects Rural Communities
Michele Lawrence, MBA, MPH, assistant professor of psychiatry and public health sciences, Gloria Baciewicz, MD, medical director of our Strong Recovery program, and Kelly Quinn, community outreach specialist for Strong Recovery, joined Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland and The Least of Us, on this episode of Connections with Evan Dawson to discuss the national overdose crisis and how it's impacting rural communities. READ MORE>>>
The Rise in Student-Athlete Suicides Prompts Mental Health Conversation Among Rochester Doctors
A rise in deaths by suicides among student-athletes has prompted a national conversation about the pressure and stress many athletes face. Craig Cypher, PsyD, Sports Psychologist for the UR Medicine Fitness Science Program, was among those interviewed by News 8 WROC Rochester on prioritizing talking about emotional and mental health with athletes. READ MORE>>>
Dream Engineers
Michelle Carr, PhD and Wilfred Pigeon, PhD spoke with Full Measure with Sheryl Atkinson about their research into the new world of science surrounding sleep, dreams, and the exciting future of controlling your dreams to make your life better: Dream Engineering. READ MORE>>>
Rochester Child Psychiatrist Works with Community Groups to Heal Young Patients Wounded by Violence
The Imprint recently featured Michael Scharf, MD and the Rochester Youth Violence Partnership which connects the hospital and 30 local agencies in order to address the deeper, ongoing needs victims of violence face. READ MORE>>>
Major Grant Funds Research to Understand Key Features of OCD
Suzanne Haber, PhD spoke with the University of Rochester on a recent $15.6 million award from the National Institute of Mental Health that will be used to create the Silvio O. Conte Center for Basic and Translational Mental Health Research out of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience. The center will investigate the brain networks central to obsessive compulsive disorder. READ MORE>>>
May Psychiatry Publications
- A new paper by Steven Silverstein, PhD and Joy Choi, MD with Kyle Green, MD Kristen Bowles-Johnson, OD Rajeev S Ramchandran, MD of the Department of Opthamology discusses the mechanisms in which eye structure can serve as a biomarker to brain health, particularly in schizophrenia.
- Anthony Pisani, PhD and Caroline Kelberman were coauthors for a paper looking at surveys completed by those who texted the Crisis Text Line and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the conversation.
- Steven Silverstein, PhD was a co-author for new paper in Schizophrenia Research finding unique and overlapping utility among three major self-report questionnaires in characterizing those at clinical high-risk for psychosis.
- Peter Wyman, PhD was a co-author on a study alongside Trevor Pickering, PhD, and Thomas Valente PhD of the University of Southern California comparing different methods of selecting peer leaders for Sources of Strength, a high-school-based suicide preventive program.
- Thomas O'Connor, PhD was a coauthor on the largest study to date measuring exposure to 89 contemporary and emerging chemicals among pregnant women in the U.S.
- Detection of documented suicide attempts and ideations may help alert medical providers for suicide prevention efforts. Wilfred Pigeon, PhD was a coauthor on a study using machine learning to identify the type of suicidal behavior during a patient's hospital stay.
In Our Community
Stroll for Strong Kids Returns for 2022
The Stroll for Strong Kids will return as a live event on June 4th! Join this 5K walk to raise money for programs at Golisano Children's Hospital that support kids and their families. Our Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Services will have a team at the walk as well as a tent with activities on the day of. If you can't join in-person, you can join a virtual walk which will take place the entire weekend. If you want to contribute to our team's fundraiser for the stroll, click here. READ MORE>>>
Support Group for AAPI Graduates and Post-Doctorate Scholars
A support group for Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) graduate students and postdoctoral scholars has recently formed led by SoYoung Choe, PhD, Postdoctoral fellow in the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide. The group aims to create a space to support AAPI graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to build a community at the University of Rochester. In May, the group held an event to introduce various AAPI sub-cultures. Click here to join the group's email list or join their efforts by filling out the form here.
Paola's Burrito Place Moves Outside Mental Health and Wellness
If you have stopped by our Strong Memorial Hospital location lately, you will notice a new food truck outside the MRBX/R-Wing corner. Paola's Burrito Place, which used to be outside the Emergency Department of the hospital, serves enchiladas, burritos, nachos, and much more every weekday from 11 AM-2:30 PM.
Creative Wellness Opportunities Holds Annual Art Show
The Mental Health Association's Creative Wellness Opportunities' annual show, Resilience, is currently running in their gallery at 320 N. Goodman Street, Rochester, NY 14607. Viewing hours for this show featuring artwork from CWO members are Saturdays, 11am-1:30pm.
Upcoming Events
