8th Annual PA Early Psychosis Conference

Shelby Arnold, PhD

Staff Psychologist at Beck Institute Center for Cognitive Therapy

Shelby Arnold, PhD, is a Staff Psychologist at Beck Institute Center for Cognitive Therapy. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Forensic Psychology from Drexel University. Dr. Arnold has worked in a variety of forensic settings, including forensic assessment clinics, inpatient forensic hospitals, community diversion programs/problem-solving courts, and city-based forensic policy teams. She currently collaborates with a diverse set of forensic partners across the spectrum of justice-involvement to implement CT-R in their setting. Her research interests include evidence-based practices for justice-involved individuals and community diversion and other alternatives to standard prosecution, particularly for individuals with serious mental health challenges. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on these topics, and is the co-author of Problem-Solving Courts and the Criminal Justice System, published by Oxford University Press.

Emily Becker-Haimes, PhD

Fidelity Advisor, HeadsUp

Emily Becker-Haimes, PhD, is the Fidelity Advisor for the HeadsUp team. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She is also the clinical director of the Pediatric Anxiety Treatment Center at Hall-Mercer, which is a specialty pediatric anxiety and OCD clinic dedicated to serving youth in the public mental health system. Emily is a clinical psychologist and implementation scientist dedicated to improving the quality of mental health services in community settings. She also holds expertise in the clinical assessment and treatment for youth with anxiety disorders and complex psychiatric comorbidities, as well as in measuring fidelity within the context of evidence-based practice implementation. She is delighted to be a part of the HeadsUp team and work to ensure that those with serious mental illness are able to access effective intervention.

Melanie Bennett, PhD

Division Director for the Division of Psychiatric Research Services (DPSR), University of Maryland

Melanie Bennett, PhD, is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She was an investigator on NIMH’s RAISE Implementation and Evaluation Study and contributed to the development of Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC)’s psychosocial intervention components. She leads Training and Implementation Support Services for the Maryland Early Intervention Program, a state-funded center of excellence in early psychosis, where she directs CSC implementation in Maryland. In 2020 she and her team -in collaboration with colleagues at Johns Hopkins, Sheppard Pratt, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine -joined NIMH’s Early Psychosis Intervention Network, a national effort to create a national database to support research that will improve practice.

Aaron P. Brinen, PsyD

Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director of Psychotherapy Training Psychiatry Residency Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Aaron P. Brinen, PsyD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he directs psychotherapy training in the psychiatry residency program. He is a primary developer of recovery-oriented cognitive therapy (CT-R) along with Aaron T. Beck, MD. Under the guidance of Dr. Beck, Dr. Brinen has worked to formalize and standardize the CT-R protocol for individual and group therapy settings, as well as for use in team-based psychiatric care and during inpatient treatment. He is a co-author of the manual of CT-R for serious mental health conditions, and has been active in the training of community therapists from around the world. Dr. Brinen is interested in researching the impact of recovery-oriented cognitive therapy on inpatient and outpatient individuals. Additionally, he is interested in the crossover of different evidence-based treatments, particularly prolonged exposure for PTSD applied to individuals living with both PTSD and schizophrenia. He is the principal investigator in a study applying CT-R during medication management checks and also the supervisor for the WISEUP clinical trial, studying treatment for persecutory delusions.

Speaker obtains author royalties from Guilford Publications 

Brianna Brisco

PEACE Program Graduate, Certified Peer Specialist

Brianna Brisco is a digital creator, artist, and empath. Brianna graduated from Parkway West High School, then completed her degree in acting and theater arts at Community College of Philadelphia, and most recently completed her certified peer specialist training. She is compassionate, kind, and loving. She aims to increase awareness of racism and is involved in efforts to support the community. She hopes to inspire people to stay in school and follow their dreams.

Monica Calkins, PhD

Co-Director, HeadsUp

Jordane K. Carter

PEACE Program Graduate, Wildland Firefighter

Jordane K. Carter is a former participant and alumni of the PEACE program, by Horizon House. He is currently a Carpentry student at the Harpers Ferry Job Corps Civilian Center where he graduated the US Forest Service Wildland Firefighter program and recently worked in the Wayne National Forest to protect and preserve the forest from fires. He graduated from Martin Luther King High School at the top of his graduating class as a Valedictorian. His goal is to hopefully inspire and encourage others, especially those who have experienced similar past trauma and psychosis.

AJ DiBricida

PEACE Program Graduate

AJ DiBricida is involved in NA and has over a year of clean time. He often supports his family by watching his nieces and nephews. He’s proud to be a calmer person today and has been enjoying life by eating healthy and going to concerts. AJ hopes to become a sponsor so he can help others stay clean like his sponsor helped him.

Arielle Ered, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Arielle Ered is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania within the Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section and a clinician at the Psychosis Evaluation and Recovery Center. Dr. Ered completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience at Temple University and a clinical psychology internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center within the psychosis track. She is passionate about recovery-oriented treatment for psychotic disorders and focuses clinically on individuals on the psychosis spectrum who have experienced co-occurring trauma, as well as folks on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Her research examines the impact of stress and trauma on individuals on the psychosis spectrum, both prior to onset of the disorder and in the first episode.

Rachel Frome, LSW

Licensed Social Worker

Rachel Frome, LSW is a therapist who worked with the PEACE program in Philadelphia for 2 years before transitioning to a group practice this fall. Rachel was the therapist and co-developer of the PEACE Aftercare program, which works with participants who are planning to graduate CSC and transition to consistent long-term care. Rachel has focused on building trauma-informed practices to support participants in increasing confidence, self-advocacy, and community-supports as they leave CSC. Rachel has a background of 8 years working with non-profits on systems and organizational change, and art facilitation. Rachel obtained her Bachelor of Social Work from Rutgers University and Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.

Paul Grant, PhD

Director, Beck Institute Center for Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy

Paul Grant, PhD, is Director of the Beck Institute Center for Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R). With Aaron T. Beck, he originated CT-R and conducted foundational research to validate it. He is a recipient of awards from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Dr. Grant developed group, family, and milieu CT-R approaches, and directs large projects implementing CT-R nationally and internationally. He has developed innovative implementation tools and is involved in researching positive beliefs and teamwide culture change as mediators of successful CT-R outcomes. He is the co-author of Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Serious Mental Health Conditions, Schizophrenia: Cognitive Theory, Research, and Therapy, and the forthcoming Thriving Together Through Schizophrenia.

Meredith Jacoby, BA

Community Outreach Manager, HeadsUp

Meredith is the HeadsUp Community Outreach Manager and uses a variety of creative tools to help educate and inform people about early intervention resources for psychosis. After receiving a BA in psychology from Temple University she has worked for over two decades in outreach and marketing for many organizations and businesses including two of her own creation. She hopes her work will empower people who are struggling and will continue to shift societal stigma around serious mental illness.

Nev Jones, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh

Nev Jones, PhD is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh with an interdisciplinary background in philosophy and ethics, medical anthropology and psychology. Bringing personal experience of schizophrenia, her work focuses on bridging client, family and provider perspectives in the context of early psychosis and SMI services more broadly. She has consulted widely, both nationally and internationally, on improving clients experiences of care.

Joseph Kiefer, PsyD, RN

Psychologist

Dr. Joseph Keifer runs a private practice, Recovery-Oriented Solutions and Consulting (ROSC) and is a lecturer within the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. He received his doctorate in psychology (PsyD) from the Institute of Graduate Clinical Psychology at Widener University with a concentration in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy/Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (CBT/ACT) and Health Psychology. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center within the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Joe has advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). He worked with and received supervision from Dr. Aaron Beck one of the creators of CBT and CT-R. He has worked with individuals with serious mental health challenges and provided training and consultation to agencies implementing CT-R. Most recently, he joined the faculty at The Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy where he previously worked as a staff psychologist. Joe has a background in nursing and is a registered nurse. As a nurse, he worked in the fields of critical care, acute psychiatric services, and detox nursing. Joe is interested in researching and utilizing Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy to support and collaborate with nurses and other medical providers to help individuals with serious mental illness to achieve a life of their choosing. He has developed presentations on Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy and its implementation by nurses for national and state nursing conferences.

Christian Kohler, MD

Co-Director, HeadsUp

Dennis Laughery, CPS

Certified Peer Specialist, ENGAGE

Dennis Laughery is a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) for Wesley Family Services. Dennis is a valued member of the Coordinated Specialty Care Team of the ENGAGE Allegheny, First Episode Psychosis Program. Prior to working with ENGAGE, Dennis was providing peer support to adults and older adults who had a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness orco-occurring disorders as a CPS for Wesley. He was introduced to the professional role of peer support through his own recovery. Dennis is trained in working with older adults, those who have substance use histories and transition age youth and young adults living with early psychosis. He has obtained his Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) Certification and actively shares his knowledge of his own recovery with the peers that he supports through his work with ENGAGE as well as his colleagues and team members. In Dennis’s free time, he values being with his family; enjoying anything that he can do (preferably active and outdoors) with his two boys (Alec and Aiden) and his wife (Allison).

Francesca Lewis-Hatheway, PsyD

Staff Psychologist, Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Dr. Francesca Lewis-Hatheway is a Licensed Psychologist at the Center. She received her Psy.D. from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University and completed her clinical internship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. From a clinical perspective, Francesca is interested in providing Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy to individuals with serious mental illness and disseminating evidence-based treatment for schizophrenia. Francesca’s dissertation focused on reducing stress and burnout among staff members who provide psychiatric care, and this informs her current research interests which include utilizing mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and improve relationships among patients’ families and caregivers.

Amber Margetich, PsyD

Psychologist, Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Dr. Amber Margetich received her PsyD from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, with a focus on school psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Wilmington VA Medical Center in Wilmington, Delaware, and her post-doctoral fellowship is with the Center for Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy at Beck Institute. She is also a certified school psychologist in the state of New Jersey. Amber’s dissertation focused on examining the relationship between exercise and anxiety sensitivity. She is particularly interested in how CT-R can support individuals with serious mental health conditions in residential and inpatient settings.

Christine Michaels, MSHSA

Chief Executive Officer, NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania

Christine Michaels, MSHSA, is Chief Executive Officer of NAMI Keystone PA, the state organization in Pennsylvania for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health advocacy organization. Ms. Michaels has more than 35 years of experience in community mental health service delivery, social service agency administration, public policy, and legislative advocacy. Ms. Michaels serves on several planning councils and committees in Allegheny County and Pennsylvania, including the State 988 Advisory Board. Ms. Michaels holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master of Science in Health Services Administration.

Amenia Miller, MSEd, MPhilEd

Team Lead, PERC

Amenia Miller, M.S.Ed, M.Phil. Ed serves as the team lead and one of the primary therapist in the Psychosis Evaluation and Recovery Center (PERC) at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining PERC, Amenia attained her bachelor’s in psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and  dual master’s in professional counseling from the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. She completed her counseling internship experience at Temple University Episcopal Extended Acute Care Unit, where she cultivated a passion for clinical work surrounding early prevention and clinical care for individuals experiencing psychosis spectrum disorders. Her goal is to provide a high standard of therapeutic care to individuals through cultivation of advocacy and activation of purpose in one’s life.

Denise Namowicz, MSW, LCSW

Director, HOPE

Denise is a graduate of Marywood University (MSW) and Lock Haven University (BSW). She has 41 years of experience in the Health & Mental Health Field and Management. She is a licensed Clinician and has held many management positions involving Program Development, Integration and Implementation of Evidence-Based Programs, Program Redesign, Quality Assurance, Peer and Family Peer Role Development. Her clinical experience is reflective in mental health and substance abuse with children, adolescents, adults and seniors through the practice modalities of individual, family, relationship/marital counseling and group therapy. Currently, Denise is the Director of HOPE (First Episode Psychosis Program) at Children’s Service Center. She is a Certified PCIT Therapist, Certified Peer Supervisor, State wide Trainer for First Episode Psychosis and Co-Author of Pennsylvania Coordinated Specialty Care Programs for First Episode Psychosis: Six- and Twelve-Month Outcomes in Early Intervention in Psychiatry.

Lindsey Pinto, LSW

Licensed Social Worker, Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Lindsey Pinto is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) who received her Master of Social Work degree from Simmons University, where she focused her training on implementing evidence-based treatment for adults involved in the justice system and those struggling with serious mental health challenges. She completed her master’s degree internship program at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, and at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute for women in Framingham, Massachusetts. Prior to joining Beck Institute, Lindsey worked for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) conducting comprehensive evaluations for individuals receiving treatment at Norristown State Hospital (NSH), or while incarcerated at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP). Lindsey’s interests include utilizing Recovery-Oriented Cognitive therapy in forensic settings and throughout justice systems.

Peter Phalen, PhD

Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Dr. Peter Phalen is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Psychiatric Services Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research is focused primarily on developing treatments for suicide and psychosis, as well as broader public mental health issues such as addiction and gun violence. He is currently leading an NIMH-funded clinical trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for people with psychosis who are at high risk of suicide. He is a practicing clinical psychologist.

Joshua Riley, MD, PhD

Psychiatrist, ENGAGE

Dr. Joshua Riley has been the psychiatrist at the ENGAGE program through Wesley Family Services for Allegheny and Westmoreland counties for 3 years. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge before completing a PhD in Linguistics at the University of Maryland – College Park and an MD at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine. After medical school he completed residency training in psychiatry at Western Psychiatric Hospital/UPMC, during which he designed and co-led an ACT for Psychosis therapy group on an inpatient schizophrenia unit. In the past he also worked as a psychiatrist at Mon Yough Community Services. Currently he is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh and teaches an annual course on the history and philosophy of psychiatry to psychiatry residents. He is also in private practice in Pittsburgh at OCD Spectrum. He is especially interested in the intersection of OCD and psychosis and the overlap in psychotherapeutic approaches useful for both challenges, particularly Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He is also interested in phenomenological approaches to understanding psychosis as a self-disorder and the implications for treatment.

Deepak K. Sarpal, MD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Medical Director, STEP

Deepak K. Sarpal, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He also serves as Medical Director of the Services for the Treatment of Early Psychosis (STEP) clinic at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. His research focuses on neural mechanisms associated with antipsychotic treatment response and clinical outcomes of psychotic disorders. His work has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, and the Pittsburgh Foundation.

Alison Swigart, MD

Assistant Professor, Penn State Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and Director,Penn State Community Psychiatry Program

Dr. Alison Swigart graduated from medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed psychiatry residency training at Brown University. She is an Assistant Professor in the Penn State Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and serves as Director of the Penn State Community Psychiatry program. She works as an attending psychiatrist at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute in Harrisburg, PA, where she focuses on treatment of individuals with First-Episode Psychosis as well as Schizophrenia across the lifespan. She has worked with participants in Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute’s CAPSTONE FEP program since 2018. She is actively involved in education of medical students, residents and fellows, and has received multiple awards for teaching.

Andreea Temelie, PharmD, BCPP

Clinical Pharmacist, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Dr. Andreea Temelie received her BS in psychology from the University of Michigan and PharmD from the University of Minnesota with an integrative interprofessional mental health focus and leadership emphasis. She completed psychiatric pharmacy residency training at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. Following residency, Dr. Temelie expanded clinical pharmacy services within the UPMC ambulatory child/adolescent psychiatry service line through integration into several hospital-based clinics and partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient programs. As a board-certified psychiatric pharmacist, she provides clinical pharmacy services and education for patients and providers on evidence-based treatment for developmental and behavioral health conditions.

Elizabeth Thomas, PhD

Assistant Professor, College of Public Health at Temple University

Dr. Elizabeth Thomas, PhD, is an assistant professor in the College of Public Health at Temple University. She is a psychologist and mental health services researcher with a background in psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery-orientedtreatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses. Her research has particularly centered on early intervention in psychosis, treatment decision-making, and the role of peer specialists in fostering service engagement and community participation. Currently, Dr. Thomas is pursuing research on peer-delivered decision support to enhance emerging adults’ engagement in early intervention services and participation in the community with grant support from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. She is grateful for the profound influence that peer specialists have had on her work and understanding of how to best serve individuals with significant mental health issues.

R. Marie Wenzel, MSW, LSW

Executive Director, Hand2Paw Foundation

Marie Wenzel, LSW, has over fifteen years of experience in social services in the Philadelphia region. After earning her BA in Sociology and Masters is Social Work from Temple University, Marie has worked with a broad range of individuals and families accessing supportive services. Marie has spearheaded initiatives to increase access to innovative and quality mental health services for underserved populations, developed partnerships with community organizations to increase outreach efforts, and successfully navigated complex political environments to secure crucial funding, including over 6 years in the early psychosis field overseeing one of the three Philadelphia Coordinated Specialty Care Teams. Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to promoting positive social change and improving the lives of marginalized people. She has been successful in developing and implementing innovative programs that align with the mission and goals of the organizations she’s served.

Melanie Yabs, PharmD, MS, BCPP

Clinical Pharmacist, STEP

Melanie Yabs, PharmD, MS, BCPP, is an outpatient psychiatric clinical pharmacist at Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH), affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. Yabs’s clinical focus is on transitioning patients from inpatient to outpatient care and medication/side effect management at WPH’s outpatient facilities, including Services for the Treatment of Early Psychosis (STEP). Dr. Yabs’s passion for the treatment of psychosis spans over a decade as she helped run clinical trials for a long-acting injectable antipsychotic that many of her patients are now stabilized on. During her pharmacy residency, Dr. Yabs also conducted research on the outcomes of long-acting injectables in early psychosis.

Sarah Zagorac, OTD, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist, PEACE

Sarah Zagorac, OTD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist at PEACE in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to joining PEACE, Sarah earned her bachelor’s in neuroscience and psychology at King College, a master’s in liberal arts at the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in occupational therapy from Thomas Jefferson University. She has worked in behavioral research for eight years, six of which focused on psychosis research. Sarah is passionate about amplifying the voices of participants and increasing access to services.