Dr. Saundra Jain is the executive director of the Mental Aerobics Project, focused on wellness and the impact of positive psychology on client outcomes. Dr. Jain provides workshops to healthcare practitioners, organizations, businesses, and individuals interested in learning more about the power of wellness. In 1992, she launched a private psychotherapy practice, where she currently provides services for a wide range of mental health issues.
Dr. Jain is very active in the area of peer-to-peer education, especially in the disease states of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and ADHD. Another strong clinical and educational interest involves differential diagnosis of major psychiatric disorders. She is the co-creator and co-presenter of a novel and extremely well-received interactive workshop/program addressing the challenges of dealing with psychiatric comorbidities through the use of psychiatric scales and screeners. This program reached a national audience, and according to many attendees changed the way they practice medicine. She has been instrumental in developing several other innovative tools/programs to fill current gaps in this area. She is the co-creator and co-presenter featured on an interactive DVD titled "Differentiating Bipolar Depression from Unipolar Depression." Recently, Dr. Jain served as the co-host of "Depression in Relationships," a medical education program broadcast in 20 major cities in the United States on several major television networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX) and the Voice of America national news and talk radio system. She is also the senior coauthor of two very well-received books that were written for clients: Unleashed: Transforming My Battle With Depression and Unleashed: 12-Weeks to Total Mental Fitness, both directed toward the needs of patients struggling with mental health issues.
She obtained her master's degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and a doctoral degree from Southern California University for professional studies. She demonstrated her professional versatility by obtaining an MBA from Texas Woman’s University. She is a licensed professional counselor and a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She has extensive clinical training in multiple sites, covering the gamut of childhood, adolescent, and adult experiences in the private and the public sectors. She was selected for a postgraduate clinical fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, where she trained in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Dr. Rakesh Jain attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India and attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded the National Institute/CDC Competitive Traineeship. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a master's degree in public health. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in research psychiatry with the Gerontology Center of the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute in Houston, where he received a national research service award for the support of the postdoctoral fellowship. After this, he served a 3-year residency in psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and completed 2 years of child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship.
Dr. Jain is currently involved in multiple research projects studying the effects of medications on the short- and long-term treatment of depression, anxiety, pain/mood overlap disorders, and psychosis in adult and child/adolescent populations. He is also the author of several articles on the issue of mood and pain conditions. He was recently named Public Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers, Gulf Coast Chapter, in recognition of community and peer education and the championing of mental health issues.
Dr. Craig Chepke is a board-certified psychiatrist and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He attended NYU School of Medicine and completed his residency training at Duke University. Dr. Chepke is the medical director of Excel Psychiatric Associates in Huntersville, NC, as well as a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University and an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry for Atrium Health. Dr. Chepke has special interests in serious mental illness, movement disorders, ADHD, and sleep medicine. He employs a person-centered care model to tailor treatments to each individual's needs, balancing pharmacotherapy with psychotherapeutic and physical health and wellness interventions. He is a member of the Huntington Study Group and serves on the board of directors for the CURESZ foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with schizophrenia.
Steven Chan (@StevenChanMD, www.stevenchanMD.com) is a practicing physician at Palo Alto VA Health, specializing in psychiatry, clinical informatics, and healthcare technology. Dr. Chan performs clinical research—funded by the US Department of Health & Human Services—in areas of telehealth and digital mental health, with applications in underserved and minority health. Dr. Chan is a sought-after national speaker whose ideas, thoughts, and research have been featured by Talks At Google, JAMA, Telemedicine and e-Health, JMIR (Journal of Medical Internet Research), Wired, PBS, and NPR Ideastream.
Julie Carbray holds her PhD and master’s degrees from Rush University, Chicago, and her bachelor of science degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A clinical professor of psychiatry and nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), she has been on faculty at UIC since 1993. As a clinician, Dr. Carbray has a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders and was recognized by the UIC community in 2008 by receiving the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association’s (APNA) Best Practices in Outpatient Mental Health Nursing Award and Distinguished Service Award. In 2012, Dr. Carbray was awarded UIC’s Inspire award for her long-standing commitment to UIC values and her inspiration of others through her work.
With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders. Dr. Carbray has also been a liaison with the Chicago Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team, which trains officers about interacting with children with mental illness. Dr. Carbray is an internationally recognized speaker and clinical expert on therapeutic work with children and adolescents with mood disorders and has co-authored scientific papers and chapters in this area of expertise.
Dr. Vladimir Maletic is clinical professor of neuropsychiatry and behavioral science at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia and a consulting associate in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Maletic received his MD in 1981 and his MS in neurobiology in 1985, both at the University of Belgrade in Yugoslavia. He went on to serve a residency in psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, followed by a residency in child psychiatry at Duke University. Dr. Maletic is a member of several professional organizations, including the Southern Psychiatric Association and American College of Psychiatrists. In addition, he has published numerous articles and has participated in various national and international meetings and congresses. His special areas of interest include neurobiology of mood disorders, pain, schizophrenia, ADHD, and regulation of sleep and wakefulness. Dr. Maletic is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates, where he treats children, adolescents, and adults. A St. Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an associate clinical professor at Washington University, where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for third-year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 200 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr. Mattingly currently serves on the board of directors for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders, and is a certified evaluator for the NFL regarding ADHD and head concussions. He also serves on the board of Headway House, a community support program for individuals with chronic mental illness. An avid runner and outdoorsman, Dr. Mattingly believes mind, body, and spirit are important qualities for him and his family.
Charles Raison, MD, is the first Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children, and Families and Professor, School of Human Ecology, and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. Prior to this, he was Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, and the Barry and Janet Lang Professor of Integrative Mental Health at the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona.
Dr. Raison is internationally recognized for his studies examining novel mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of major depression and other stress-related emotional and physical conditions, as well as for his work examining the physical and behavioral effects of compassion training. The recipient of several teaching awards, Dr. Raison has received research funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, Dr. Raison received the Raymond Pearl Memorial Award from the Human Biology Association “in recognition of his contributions to our understanding of evolutionary biocultural origins of mental health and illness.”
Dr. Raison serves as the founding director of the Center for Compassion Studies in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona and is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Usona Institute. He is the mental health expert for CNN.com.
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, is the vice president of research and leads the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s research grant program to advance the field of suicide prevention. With 35 years of experience as a clinician and a researcher, she is passionate about translating research into practice, publishing over 100 peer-reviewed articles. She assists with AFSP’s development of programs and messages that reflect best practices and current research. She works with other national and international research organizations to help set the suicide prevention research agenda and encourage innovative research.
Dr. Harkavy-Friedman earned her bachelor's in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and her PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Florida. She completed her internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital. In 1984, she joined Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, establishing the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program. In 1989, she moved to Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute where she is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry. She joined the staff at AFSP in 2011. She maintains a clinical practice in Manhattan.
Leslie Citrome, MD, MPH, is clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York, and has a private practice in Pomona, New York. He graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal, Canada, and completed a residency and chief residency in psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. He also went on to complete a masters in public health at Columbia University.
Dr. Citrome was the founding director of the Clinical Research and Evaluation Facility at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York. After nearly 2 decades of government service, as a researcher in the psychopharmacological treatment of severe mental disorders, Dr. Citrome is now engaged as a consultant in clinical trial design and interpretation. He is a frequent lecturer on the quantitative assessment of clinical trial results using the metrics of evidence-based medicine. He is a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Dr. Citrome is the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Clinical Practice. He has authored or co-authored over 500 published research reports, reviews, and book chapters within the biomedical literature. He is the author of the textbook, "Handbook of Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia," published in 2013 by Springer Healthcare.
Dr. Jonathan Meyer is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Meyer is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School, finished his adult psychiatry residency at LA County-USC Medical Center and completed fellowships there in consultation/liaison psychiatry and psychopharmacology research. Dr. Meyer has teaching duties at UC San Diego and the Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego, and is a consultant to the first episode psychosis programs run by Balboa NMC and the state of Nevada.
Dr. Meyer has lectured and published extensively on psychopharmacology, and is the sole author of the chapter on the Pharmacotherapy of Psychosis and Mania for the past three editions of Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. Along with Dr. Stephen Stahl, he is co-author of the Clozapine Handbook published by Cambridge University Press in May 2019, and the upcoming handbook titled: The Clinical Use of Antipsychotic Plasma Levels, to be released in May 2021 by Cambridge University Press.
Dr. Manish Jha is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Center of Depression Research and Clinical Care at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. He conducts clinical research that aims to identify the biological mechanisms of depression, anxiety and substance use disorders in order to inform the development of novel treatments. He received his medical degree from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India and completed his residency training in Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. He is a Member of the Society of Biological Psychiatry and American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. In addition to his research and educational activities, Dr. Jha maintains an active clinical practice focusing on evidence-based interventions for difficulty-to-treat depressive and anxiety disorders. He has received travel/new investigator awards from several national and international societies. He has authored/co-authored over 100 manuscripts.
Dr. Baig trained at Saint Louis University School of Medicine Department Of Neurology & Psychiatry and is the Chief Medical Research Officer at Midwest Research Group. He has been involved in clinical research trials for the past 10 years and over 40 clinical studies. Currently, under the direction of Primary Investigator Dr. Greg Mattingly, Dr. Baig and Midwest Research group are conducting several clinical trials for novel therapeutics in treatment of MDD (major depressive disorder) and TRD (treatment resistant depression), Bipolar Disorder, ADHD and Schizophrenia.
Chelsie Monroe is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of Balanced Mental Wellness in Englewood, Colorado. She has over 10 years of experience specializing in complex PTSD, trauma, and addictions treatments. Chelsie is a board-certified Integrative Psychiatric provider and is adjunct faculty at the University of Colorado, College of Nursing at Anschutz. She's trained in a variety of therapies including Internal Family Systems and somatic therapies. Chelsie is an expert in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and believes that KAP bridges the psychospiritual gap in healthcare and facilitates a journey home to authentic self.
Bethany Yeiser serves as President of the CURESZ Foundation which she co-founded with Dr. Henry Nasrallah in 2016. CURESZ stands for Comprehensive Understanding via Research and Education into SchiZophrenia. She also works as an author and mental health advocate. Her memoir Mind Estranged (2014) follows her trajectory from the onset of mental illness, through acute psychosis, homelessness, two brief incarcerations, and full recovery.
As a motivational speaker, Bethany inspires positive change in the way people diagnosed with schizophrenia are characterized and treated in the health care system and by society. She discusses strategies for effective teamwork among families and health care providers, helping patients develop insight into mental illness, consent to treatment, and achieve the highest possible level of recovery. Bethany also raises awareness of the disproportionately high rate of incarceration of the mentally ill. Bethany holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology with honor from the University of Cincinnati. She maintains a blog called Recovery Road on PsychologyToday.com. Her other interests include performing classical and popular music on violin, and studying ancient Hebrew and Mandarin Chinese.
Life strategist Vanessa Joy Walker is an expert at bringing life's different seasons into perspective. As a coach and founder of Gillian Walker Management, Vanessa thrives on supporting others in achieving their highest calling every day. Vanessa has shared her story of hope, perseverance, and joy with thousands of people worldwide as a featured speaker and media contributor. Her life experience is vast and includes; seasons of abandonment, betrayal, cancer, infertility, and grief. Her first book, Make Room for Joy (August 2020), challenges you to get real about pain while cultivating joy in the middle of life's most complicated seasons. Although Vanessa calls Brooklyn home, she currently resides in North Carolina and can be found singing, eating good food, and hiking with her loves, Pepper Joy (the family dog) and Mr. Walker (the hubby).
You can connect with Vanessa about coaching or collaborating by emailing info@vanessajoywalker.com. You can also find her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @VanessaJoyWalker.
Deborah Rosales-Elkins joined UT/ Dell Bipolar Clinic and Integral Care Mood Treatment specialty clinic as a Peer Support in 2018. She worked for NAMI Texas in 2016 as a Hogg Foundation Peer Policy Fellow. The focus of her position was to have the opportunity to learn the legislative process to move Mental Health Policy forward in Texas. Prior to joining NAMI Texas, Deborah worked as a Mental Health advocate at Texans Care For Children, a Program Coordinator and Trainer for the Children’s Mental Health Partnership, a Clinic Manager and Staff Development Trainer, as well as a consultant trainer for the Center for Health Training and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. She has a BS in Human Services and an MA in Human Development from the University of Saint Mary’s at Minneapolis, Minnesota.