Eminent Behavioral Health Services Researcher Appointed Editor of Psychiatric Services
New York, NY - April 13, 2016. The trustees of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) today announced the appointment of Lisa Dixon, MD, MPH, as editor of Psychiatric Services, starting January 1, 2017. Psychiatric Services, the highly-ranked, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal of the APA, reports monthly on research related to the delivery of mental health services, especially for people with serious mental illnesses in community-based treatment programs. As editor, she will oversee and ensure the quality of research submitted and published by Psychiatric Services through strategic outreach to top researchers in the field.
Dr. Dixon is an internationally recognized health services researcher with over 25 years of continuous funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. As director of the Center for Practice Innovations at New York State Psychiatric Institute, she oversees activities for the New York State Office of Mental Health in implementing evidenced based practices for persons diagnosed with serious mental illness. She leads the innovative program, OnTrackNY, a statewide initiative designed to improve outcomes and reduce disability for the population of individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis.
“I am honored to assume this role,” said Dr. Dixon. “My goal is for Psychiatric Services to be the “go to” journal for all matters related to policy and implementation of behavioral health care services and serve the needs of the full range of stakeholders—providers, consumers, family members, administrators, and policy makers. The three R’s—rigor, relevance, and reality—will guide me.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Dixon has focused on improving the quality of care for individuals with serious mental disorders with a particular emphasis on services that include families, reducing the negative impact of co-occurring addictions and medical problems, and improving treatment engagement and adherence. Dr. Dixon's work has joined individuals engaged in self-help, outpatient psychiatric care, as well as clinicians and policy makers in collaborative research endeavors. In addition, Dr. Dixon is the current editor of a column in Psychiatric Services dedicated to Public-Academic partnerships. She has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and received the 2009 American Psychiatric Association Health Services Senior Scholar Award, as well as the Wayne Fenton Award for Exceptional Clinical Care. In 2014, she received the National Alliance on Mental Illness annual Scientific Research Award.
“Dr. Dixon is eminently qualified to take on this role which is so important to improve the quality of public mental health care,” noted Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, professor and chair of the department of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. “Her selection further attests to the expertise and expanding influence of the outstanding faculty in our department and affiliated institutions.”
Dr. Dixon is professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and the director of the Division of Behavioral Health Services and Policy Research in the Department of Psychiatry. She also directs the Center for Practice Innovations at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
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New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Department of Psychiatry (NYSPI/Columbia Psychiatry).
New York State Psychiatric Institute (founded in 1896) and the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry have been closely affiliated since 1925. Their co-location in a New York State facility on the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center campus provides the setting for a rich and productive collaborative relationship among scientists and physicians in a variety of disciplines. NYSPI/Columbia Psychiatry is ranked among the best departments and psychiatric research facilities in the nation and has contributed greatly to the understanding of and current treatment for psychiatric disorders. The Department and Institute are home to distinguished clinicians and researchers noted for their clinical and research advances in the diagnosis and treatment of depression, suicide, schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders and childhood psychiatric disorders. Their combined expertise provides state of the art clinical care for patients, and training for the next generation of psychiatrists and psychiatric researchers.