Events

Join the Celebration!! The entire Columbia University community—students, faculty, staff, and our neighbors—is invited to join the official Inauguration ceremony of President Shafik at the Morningside campus. Come out to celebrate the investiture of our new president while reflecting on the history and legacy of this great institution of teaching and research and our shared commitment to service, impact, and academic excellence. Everyone's welcome! The lawns on Morningside campus will be open for picnics and parties, so bring a chair and grab your friends. If you'd prefer an actual seat on Low Plaza and you’re a current student, officer, faculty or staff member with an active uni, please register. Note that this event is not ticketed, and no registration is required (unlike Commencement). For those who cannot attend, the event will be livestreamed on the University homepage and we encourage you to plan a local watch party at your location.

Brickell Memorial Award Grand Rounds Building Bridges Over Troubled Waters: HAVEN-Connect Suicide Prevention Program for Black Youth in Faith Communities Sherry Molock, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology George Washington University  *This Grand Rounds is IN PERSON. (Simulcast via Zoom Webinar)  Location Hellman Auditorium 1st floor of NYSPI-Pardes Building 1051 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10032 Zoom Details Meeting ID: 875 3361 8073 Passcode: 684315 Dial in: +1 646 558 8656 Zoom Link

Overview: Mental health care in NYS and elsewhere in the US and abroad is characterized by persisting disparities/inequities in the availability and quality of mental health care. The reasons for these disparities/ inequities are complex and occur at multiple levels, including at the level of societal structure, healthcare system, mental health program, clinician, and care recipient. This presentation will briefly consider some of the reasons for this complexity and spend most of the time discussing promising strategies for eliminating mental healthcare disparities/inequities.  Learning Objectives: Identify three key contributors to the elevated risk of mental health disparities facing underserved US ethnoracial groups, focusing on the US Latinx community.  Describe a person-centered approach to assessing the impact of these key contributors on mental health disparities.  Discuss five strategies to enhance access to and delivery of mental health services focused on disparity reduction.  Presenter: Dr. Roberto Lewis-Fernández is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the New York State (NYS) Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence and the Hispanic Treatment Program, and Co-Director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, at NYS Psychiatric Institute. He is also Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard University. Dr. Lewis-Fernández’s research focuses on developing clinical interventions and novel service-delivery approaches to help overcome disparities in the care of underserved cultural groups. His work centers on improving treatment engagement and retention in mental health and physical health care by persons with anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and other serious mental illnesses. He also studies the way culture affects individuals’ experience of mental disorder and their help-seeking expectations, including how to explore this cultural variation during the psychiatric evaluation. He led the development of the DSM-5 Cultural Formulation Interview, a standardized method for cultural assessment for use in mental health practice, and the Principal Investigator of its international field trial, conducted in Canada, India, Kenya, the Netherlands, Peru, and the United States. Dr. Lewis-Fernández’s research has been funded by US federal and state agencies as well as private foundations. He has published over 170 articles, editorials, commentaries, reports, books, and book chapters on the topic of cultural mental health. RSVP:  Register in advance by clicking the "Reserve Your Seat" button below. 

Overview: The U.S. is facing an unprecedented epidemic of opioid use and related deaths. According to the NIH, There were 106,699 drug-involved overdose deaths reported in the U.S. in 2021. This 60-minute presentation will focus on best practices when assessing, treating and responding to opioid use. This will include a review of risks, signs and diagnosis of opioid use disorders. As well as how to effectively treat opioid use disorders using a multi-disciplinary approach. Additionally, CDC best practices and considerations for prescribing opioids for pain will be reviewed. There will be a primary focus on evidence based medications and treatments for opioid use disorder. Participants will also be trained on overdose response and prevention, including administration of naloxone.   Learning Objectives: Identify DSM-5 symptom criteria of opioid use disorder;  Describe at least two treatment considerations and referral options when working with individuals using or prescribed opioids; and  List at least three clinical practice guidelines when working with individuals prescribed opioids for pain Presenters: Aimee Chiligiris, PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health concerns. Dr. Chiligiris serves on the faculty as an Instructor in Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry) and sees patients at our Columbus Circle location. Dr. Chiligiris completes diagnostic assessments, engages in individual therapy, and facilitates substance abuse groups. Dr. Aimee Chiligiris completed her doctorate at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She completed her internship and post-doctoral residency at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, specializing in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with co-occurring concerns. She has treated patients struggling with mood disorders, anxiety, characterological concerns, substance use disorders, disordered eating behaviors, and trauma related concerns. Her special interests include the assessment and treatment of co-occurring disorders in early adulthood. She also has interest in working with patients to build motivation, connection and skills in recovery, working with family members influenced by addiction, and assessment and treatment planning for complex co-occurring presentations. Elizabeth Evans, MD graduated from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed both her psychiatry residency training and a fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at Columbia University. Her research during training focused on ways to enhance treatment outcomes in those with opioid use disorders. Dr. Evans specializes in working with patients suffering with disorders such as depression and anxiety, who have also found that drugs and alcohol are impacting their ability to feel fulfilled, be productive, or thrive in healthy relationships. She uses psychotherapy and/or medications, including Vivitrol and Suboxone, and facilitates family and couples therapy when appropriate. Dr. Evans also provides consultations for diagnostic evaluation and treatment planning.  RSVP:  Click here to register in advance.  CUIMC/NYSPI employees interested in attending this event should email Psych.CE@nyspi.columbia.edu to register.