Issue 9 | January 14, 2020
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Dear Faculty, Trainees, and Staff:
Happy New Year and here’s to renewed energy as we all move forward in a positive direction.
I would like to open the New Year with the appointment of our new Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Psychiatry --
Dr. Gloria Reeves
. She has an outstanding record of collaborating in research, mentoring junior faculty from all areas of academia, and spearheading her own work. She is currently RO1 funded and has extensive experience in a wide variety of funding opportunities. In her new role, Dr. Reeves will support the development of existing and new research initiatives to help expand our funding portfolio, support education of trainees in the basics of investigative activities through the Office of Education, and lead a special program on mentorship initiatives for junior and mid-level research and clinical faculty. By way of this new role, Dr. Reeves will provide a highly needed centralized office for the coordination of research scholarship. Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Dr. Reeves to her new role as Vice Chair of Research!
This year, the Department will be strengthening our focus on faculty and staff, particularly with recruitment and retention efforts. We will showcase the diversity of our team members and efforts, share accomplishments and promote ourselves to the public, develop leadership and collaborative opportunities, and much more. As one example, the new promotion guidelines for the clinical educator and administrator track have been distributed, and will facilitate an upward movement for many of our junior and mid-level faculty. I am also continuing to look for opportunities to promote our entire facultys' talents and interests.
Finally, thank you all for your hard work, and best wishes for the start of a new decade.
Sincerely,
Jill RachBeisel, MD
Interim Chair, Department of Psychiatry
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Lace A. Riggs, MA
, was recently highlighted in
SOM News
for being selected as one of fifteen members of the Leadership Development Program, a pilot program of the Society for Neuroscience. Riggs was chosen from more than 200 graduate and postdoctoral applicants, and will use the opportunity to develop a multifaceted approach to leadership in the scientific and professional field.
Riggs currently studies in the lab of
Todd Gould, MD
. She plans to complete her PhD "to use multidisciplinary approaches to advance novel therapeutic development for treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions."
Congratulations on this honor and your award!
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Heidi Wehring, PharmD:
"Translational assessment of brain bioenergetic function in schizophrenia"
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Heidi Wehring, PharmD
, is the recipient of the newly awarded R01 grant, entitled "Translational assessment of brain bioenergetic function in schizophrenia."
The project is awarded by the
National Institute of Mental Health for $3.5 million
over a five-year period.
Dr. Wehring aims to investigate brain bioenergetic alterations -- using a translational approach that includes brain imaging, cognition, and clinical assessments in living patients, bioenergetics studies in cultured brain organoids, and biochemical confirmation studies in postmortem brain with bioinformatics. The study will help to identify treatment targets in bioenergetic pathways that may improve quality of life for patients with schizophrenia.
Congratulations Dr. Wehring, and we look forward to future updates!
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UMB Collaborative Team Awarded Grant to
Address Opioid Epidemic
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Recently, the Schools of Social Work, Nursing, and Medicine were awarded a three-year, $1.35 million grant to pool together top-tier resources to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic. The award will enable the creation of a behavioral health workforce and allow providers to serve individuals living in high-need locations.
This collaboration builds upon six years of work that was also funded by the Health Services Resources Administration (HSRA), which will strengthen current behavioral health models across the lifespan of patients.
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Joy Chang, MD
, recently started a partnership with the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, to address the behavioral health and addiction needs of sickle cell patients.
Dr. Chang currently collaborates in outpatient clinics embedded within Hematology, and attends to patients while they are hospitalized to provide heightened and comprehensive care.
We look forward to hearing more on this endeavor!
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Collaborative Innovation and Improvement Networks (CoIIN) State Kick-off Meetings
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On December 5,
Jill Bohnenkamp, PhD
,
Sharon Hoover, PhD
, and
Samantha Reaves, PhD
, from the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, led kick-off meetings in Arizona and Rhode Island as part of their National Quality Initiative on School Health Services. They partnered with state leaders from the Departments of Education and Behavioral Health to guide five school districts in strategic planning to advance school mental health.
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The National Center for School Mental Health team developed and operates this platform, which has representation from all 50 states.
Recently, SHAPE went through an overhaul -- based on input from national experts and stakeholders. The revised system includes improved national performance standards, custom reports and strategic planning guides, resources, a screening and assessment library, and more, all in one streamlined location.
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PRESENTATIONS & TRAININGS
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Sharon Hoover, PhD
, is currently leading trainings and presentations on behalf of School Mental Health. On November 19, Dr. Hoover provided a webinar on creating safe, supportive, and trauma-informed schools for the Australia Psychological Society Psychologists in Schools Special Interest Group. The webinar was a huge success, and was attended by hundreds of psychologists across Australia.
Trauma Treatment in Schools
Since the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2013, Dr. Hoover has been working with Newtown Public Schools and the Connecticut Department of Children and Families to support state-wide implementation of trauma treatment in schools. On November 22, Dr. Hoover had the privilege of training Ms. Hope Bray, a school social worker in Newtown, to become a trainer for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network on Bounce Back, and elementary school intervention for trauma-exposed students.
School-Based Interventions and Safety
On December 10-11, Dr. Hoover conducted a training in Toronto, Ontario, on Supporting Transition Resilience of Newcomer Groups (STRONG) -- a school-based intervention for immigrants and refugees in promoting resilience and reducing psychological distress
(pictured below)
.
Later, on December 16, Dr. Hoover presented to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Behavioral Health Workgroup on the topic of Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems and School Safety.
Dr. Hoover, the Department and School Mental Health are deeply grateful for all that you do, and for your passionate commitment to your work!
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The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) recently highlighted the work of the Department of Psychiatry and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), along with the Department's collaboration with the Garrett County Health Department and Lower Shore Clinic in Wicomico County. MAT is a needed service that is used to treat opiate addiction, particularly in rural areas -- due to the shortage of addiction doctors.
The Department would like to thank Drs. Christopher Welsh, Eric Weintraub, and Joy Chang. Additionally, many thanks to Pam Fodel, Kim Erskine, David Flax, and Andre Jackson -- for all that you do!
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March 5, 2020
6th Annual Telemental Health Meeting
Telebehavioral 2020: Current and Future Practice
March 12, 2020
12:00-1:30 pm: Faculty Meeting
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Thanks to all for your contributions, and please email Lisa Cleary at lcleary@som.umaryland.edu with submissions.
Our suggested categories include:
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- Clinical trials and studies
- Community service
- Education
- Events, lectures, panels, & workshops
- Faculty appointments
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- Grants and contracts, and collaborative opportunities
- Honors and awards
- IT news
- Media press
- Publications
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