Thomas E. Smith, MD

  • Special Lecturer in Psychiatry
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Overview

Dr. Smith is Chief Medical Officer, New York State Office of Mental Health (NYS OMH) and Special Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. He oversees clinical and quality aspects of the New York State public mental health system with a focus on improving access to prevention, recovery, and rehabilitation services for persons with mental illness. He is the recipient of numerous NIMH and foundation grants for studies of engagement strategies for persons with serious mental illnesses, services for persons with first episode psychosis, and intensive care management approaches for high-need, high-risk individuals.

 

Dr. Smith earned his M.D. at Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Chicago before coming to New York where he had extensive experience as a clinician, researcher, and hospital administrator at New York-Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He joined the behavioral health services research division at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in 2007 and participated in the design and implementation of New York State’s behavioral health Medicaid managed care redesign. As Chief Medical Officer for NYS OMH, he currently supervises programs that support quality of care, population health monitoring, and mental wellness and prevention throughout the NYS public mental health system. He also oversees NYS OMH mental health parity enforcement efforts as well as initiatives to develop system level quality and performance measures. He has participated in numerous local and national advisory councils and published widely on mental healthcare policy, Medicaid design and oversight.

 

Academic Appointments

  • Special Lecturer in Psychiatry

Administrative Titles

  • Chief Medical Officer, NYS Office of Mental Health

Gender

  • Male

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • Wayne State University School of Medicine
  • Residency: University of Chicago Hospitals

Research

Dr. Smith's research interests focus on public mental health policy initiatives supporting engagement in care for high-need individuals with serious mental illness, as well as novel pharmacologic and psychosocial treatment approaches for individuals with psychotic and personality disorders.

 

Research Interests

  • Enhancing engagement in care for high-need individuals with serious mental illness
  • Improving care transitions from hospital to community-based services
  • Medicaid Behavioral Health State Policy Development and Implementation

Selected Publications

  1. Bareis N, Edlund M, Ringeisen H, Guyer H, Dixon LB, Olfson M, Smith TE, Chwastiak L, Monroe-DeVita M, Swartz M, Swanson J, Hancq ES, Geiger P, Kreski NT, Stroup TS: Characterizing schizophrenia spectrum disorders: The US Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study results. Psychiatric Services, in press

     

  2. Sweetland AC, Basaraba C, Taffy A, Fuenmayor A, Benitez V, Cole K, Lawrence R, Tepper M, Linhares D, Stockton M, Mootz J, Lovero K, Waller B, Fortunato dos Santos F, Horvath-Marques A, Smith TE, Wainberg ML: The Mental Wellness Tool: A brief screener for common and severe mental disorders, substance use, and suicide risk. Psychiatric Services, in press

     

  3. McGuire W, Radigan M, Gu G, Sang Y, You K, Wang R, Chung R, Bello I, Malinovsky I, Nossel I, Wall M, Basaraba CN, Amsalem D, Smith TE, Dixon LB: Association between coordinated specialty care and health care utilization among Medicaid beneficiaries with early psychosis. Psychiatric Services, in press

     

  4. Nemani K, Livia De Picker L, Dickerson F, Leboyerf M, Santacatterina M, Ando F, Capichioni G, Smith TE, Kammer J, El Abdellati K, Morrens M, Coppens V, Katsafanas E, Origoni A, Khan S, Rowe K, Ziemann RS, Tamouza R, Yolken RH, Goff DC: Anti-spike antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Health, published online June 3, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100802

     

  5. Amsalem D, Fisch T, Wall M, Liu J, Lazarov A, Markowitz JC, LeBeau M, Hinds M, Thompson K, Smith TE, Lewis-Fernández R, Dixon LB, Neria Y: The role of income and emotional engagement in the efficacy of a brief help-seeking video intervention for essential workers. Journal of Psychiatric Research, published online March 27, 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.03.027

     

  6. Tepper MC, Leckman-Westin E, Sosiak R, *Smith TE: Workforce Monitoring: Staffing patterns in the public mental health workforce in New York State, 2009-2021. Psychiatric Services in Advance, published online November 14, 2023; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230308

     

  7. Ehntholt A, Rodgers IT, Lekas HM Lewis-Fernandez R, Samaranayake D, Anderson A, Capobianco L, Cohen DE, Feeney S, Leckman-Westin E, Marinovic S, Pritam R, Chen S, Smith TE, Dixon LB, Saake A: Disparities in COVID-19-related psychological distress among recipients of public mental health services in New York State. Psychiatric Services in Advance, published online November 14, 2023; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230025

     

  8. *Smith TE, Ledneva T, Cohen DE, Ramsey KS, Bauer MJ, Carruthers J, Conroy MB, Dreslin SR, Friedrich M, Sun M, Gould MS, Schoenbaum M, Olfson M: Ethnoracial disparities in rates of non-natural causes of death following the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in New York State. AJPM Focus, published online September 30, 2023; doi: 10.1016/j.focus.2023.100151

     

  9. Bareis N, Tepper MC, Wang R, Tang F, Olfson M, Dixon LB, Kimhy D, Wall MM, Medalia A, Finnerty MT, Anderson A, *Smith TE: Engagement of individuals with serious mental illness in outpatient mental health services and telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Research, published online September 24, 2023; doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115497

     

  10. Swanson S, Pogue JA, Becker D, Langfitt-Reese S, Brock R, Smith TE, Drake RE: Providing team-based mental health and employment services to non-traditional clients. Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health 2024; 11:45–54; doi: 10.1007/s40737-022-00321-4

     

  11. Compton MT, Frimpong EY, Ehntholt A, Zhu H, Chaudhry S, Ferdousi W, Rowan G, Radigan MS, Smith TE, Rotter MR: Associations between social adversities and chronic medical conditions in a statewide sample of individuals in treatment for mental illnesses. Community Mental Health Journal published online July 3, 2023; doi: 10.1007/s10597-023-01165-3

     

  12. Compton MT, Frimpong EY, Fu E, Ehntholt A, Chaudhry S, Ferdousi W, Rowan G, Swetnam H, Radigan MS, Smith TE, Rotter MR: Associations between cumulative social adversities and substance use comorbidity in a statewide sample of individuals in treatment for mental illnesses. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 2023; 211(11):814-818; doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001703

     

  13. Amsalem D, Wall M, Lazarov A, Markowitz JC, Fisch CT, LeBeau M, Fisher PW, Smith TE, Hankerson S, Lewis-Fernandez R, Dixon LB, Neria Y: Anxiety and depression symptoms among young US essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatric Services 2023; 74(10):1010-1018; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20220530

     

  14. *Smith TE, Corbeil T, Wall MM, Tang F, Essock SM, Frimpong E, Goldman ML, Mascayano F, Radigan M, Wang R, Rodgers I, Dixon LB, Olfson M, Lewis-Fernandez R: Community, hospital, and patient contributions to ethnoracial disparities in follow-up after psychiatric hospitalization. Psychiatric Services 2023; 74(7):684-694; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20220110
  15. Amsalem D, Wall M, Lazarov A, Markowitz JC, Fisch CT, LeBeau M, Hinds M, Liu J, Fisher PW, Smith TE, Hankerson S, Lewis-Fernandez R, Dixon LB, Neria Y: Brief video interventions to increase treatment-seeking intentions among US healthcare workers: A randomized controlled trial. Psychiatric Services 2023; 74(2):119-126; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20220083

     

  16. *Smith TE, Bury D, Hendrick D, Morse G, Drake RE: Barriers to client engagement and strategies to improve participation in mental health and supported employment services. Psychiatric Services 2023; 74(1):38-43; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202200023

     

  17. Frimpong EY, Ferdousi W, Rowan GA, Chaudhry S, Swetnam H, Compton MH, Smith TE, Radigan M: Racial and ethnic disparities in health care access and utilization among Medicaid managed care beneficiaries. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 2023; 50(2):194-213; doi: 10.1007/s11414-022-09811-6

     

  18. Compton MT, Zern A, Pope L, Gesser N, Stagoff-Belfort A, de Bibiana JT, Watson AC, Wood J, Smith TE: Misdemeanor charges among individuals with serious mental illnesses: A statewide analysis of more than two million arrests. Psychiatric Services, published online: July 7, 2022; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000936

     

  19. Ehntholt A, Frimpong EY, Compton MT, Rowan GA, Ferdousi W, Swetnam H, Chaudhry S, Radigan M, Smith TE, Rotter M: Prevalence and correlates of four social determinants in a statewide survey of recipients of licensed mental health services. Psychiatric Services 2022, published on-line May 11, 2022; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202100380

     

  20. Erlich MD, Casoy F, Berezin J, Hernandez Y, *Smith TE: Building and landing the plane while flying: How New York State addressed the needs of people with SMI during the Covid-19 pandemic. Schizophrenia Bulletin Open 2022, October 18;3(1), sgac035; doi: 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgac035

     

  21. Bury D, Hendrick D, Smith TE, Metcalf J, Drake RE: The psychiatric nurse care coordinator on a multi-disciplinary, community mental health treatment team. Community Mental Health Journal 2022; 58(7):1354-1360; doi: 10.1007/s10597-022-00945-7

     

  22. Rotter M, Compton M, Samaranayake D, Entholt A, Baldwin E, Schaeffer L, Feeney S, Smith TE: The social determinants of mental health: a descriptive study of state mental health agencies’ priorities. Community Mental Health Journal 2022; 58(6):1121-1129; doi: 10.1007/s10597-021-00921-7

     

  23. Mascayano F, Haselden M, Corbeil T, Wall MM, Tang F, Essock SM, Frimpong E, Goldman ML, Radigan M, Schneider M, Wang R, Dixon LB, Olfson M, *Smith TE: Patient-, hospital-, and system-level factors associated with 30-day readmission after a psychiatric hospitalization. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 2022; 210:741–746; doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001529

     

  24. Amsalem D, Wall M, Lazarov A, Markowitz JC, Fisch A, LeBeau M, Hinds M, Liu J, Fisher PW, Smith TE, Hankerson S, Lewis-Fernández R, Dixon LB, Neria Y: Destigmatizing mental health treatment and increasing openness to seeking treatment: Randomised controlled trial of brief-video interventions. British Journal of Psychiatry Open 2022; 8(5):E169; doi: 10.1192/bjo.2022.575

     

  25. Mascayano F, Bello I, Andrews H, Arancibia D, Arratia T, Burrone MS, Conover S, Fader K, Jorquera MJ, Gomez M, Malverde S, Martínez-Alés G, Ramírez J, Reginatto G, Restrepo-Henao A, Rosenheck R, Schilling S, Smith TE, Soto-Brandt G, Tapia E, Tapia T, Velasco P, Wall MM, Yang L, Cabassa L, Susser E, Dixon L, Alvarado R: OnTrack Chile for people with early psychosis: A study protocol for a Hybrid Type 1 trial. Trials 2022; 23:751; doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06661-7

     

  26. *Smith TE, Erlich M, Casoy F, Berezin J: The impact of COVID-19 on psychiatric services and individuals with serious mental illness in New York State during 2020. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics 2022; 25(Suppl 1):S30

     

  27. Mangurian CV, Dahiya P, Goldman ML, Corbeil T, Wall MM, Essock SM, Dixon LB, Tang F, Frimpong E, Mascayano F, Radigan M, Wang R, Olfson M, *Smith TE: Underdetection of pre-existing HIV/AIDS during psychiatric hospitalizations. AIDS 2022; 36:1031-1037; doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000003190

     

  28. Nemani K, Williams SZ Olfson M, Leckman-Westin E, Finnerty M, Kammer J, Smith TE, Silverman DJ, Lindenmayer JP, Capichioni G, Clelland J, Goff D: Association between psychotropic medications and COVID-19 risk among people with serious mental illness in a New York statewide psychiatric hospital system. JAMA Network Open 2022; 5(5):e2210743; doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.10743

     

  29. Amsalem D, Lazarov A, Markowitz J, Smith TE, Dixon L, Neria Y: Increasing treatment-seeking intentions in healthcare workers: A randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry 2022; 220:14-20; doi: 10.1192/bjp.2021.54

     

  30. *Smith TE, Pangilinan M, Rodgers I, Li X, Claverie G, Katagiri J. Mental health service utilization review patterns in a Medicaid Managed Care Program. American Journal of Managed Care 2022; 28: 81-84; doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2022.88824

     

  31. Rodgers IT, Samaranayake D, Anderson A, Capobianco L, Cohen DE, Ehntholt A, Feeney S, Leckman-Westin E, Marinovic S, Smith TE*, Dixon LB, Lekas H, Lewis-Fernández R, Saake A: The impacts of COVID-19 on a statewide population living with mental illness. Psychiatric Services 2022; 73: 674–678; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202100328

     

  32. *Smith TE, Haselden M, Corbeil T, Wall MM, Tang F, Essock SM, Frimpong E, Goldman ML, Mascayano F, Radigan M, Schneider M, Wang R, Rodgers I, Dixon LB, Olfson M: The effectiveness of discharge planning for psychiatric inpatients with varying levels of pre-admission engagement in care. Psychiatric Services 2022; 73:149–157; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000863

     

  33. Berezin J, Casoy F, Erlich MD, Hernandez Y, Smith TE*: Inpatient psychiatry during COVID-19: A systems perspective. Psychiatric Clinics of North America 2022; 45:45-55; doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2021.11.002

     

  34. Amsalem D, Lazarov A, Markowitz J, Naiman A, Smith TE, Dixon L, Neria Y: Psychiatric symptoms and moral injury among US healthcare workers in the COVID-19 era. BMC Psychiatry 2021; 21:546; doi: 10.1186/s12888-021-03565-9

     

  35. *Smith TE, Rodgers IT, Silverman DJ, Dreslin SR, Olfson M, Dixon LB, Wall MM: COVID-19 case rates after surveillance and vaccinations in a statewide psychiatric hospital system. American Journal of Public Health 2021; 111(10):1780-1783; doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306444. 

     

  36. *Smith TE, Marino LA, Olfson M: An unmet opportunity: intensive care transition interventions for individuals with “Serious Medical-Psychiatric Illnesses” (SMPI). Psychiatric Services 2021; 72:856-858; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000286

     

  37. *Smith TE, Haselden M, Corbeil T, Wall MM, Tang F, Essock SM, Frimpong E, Goldman ML, Mascayano F, Radigan M, Schneider M, Wang R, Dixon LB, Olfson M: Factors associated with discharge planning practices for patients receiving psychiatric inpatient care. Psychiatric Services 2021; 72:498-506; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000021

     

  38. Dar S, Leibenthal E, Pan H, Smith T, Savitz A, Landa Y, Silbersweig D, Stern E: Abnormal semantic processing of threat words associated with excitement and hostility symptoms in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research 2021; 228:394-402; doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.12.022

     

  39. *Smith TE, Sullivan AM, Druss BG: Re-designing public mental health systems post-COVID-19. Psychiatric Services 2021; 72:602-605; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000400

     

  40. Bao Y, Li Y, Jeng PJ, Scodes J, Papp MA, Humensky JL, Wall M, Lee R, Ancker JS, Pincus HA, Smith TE, Dixon LB. Design of a payment decision-support tool for coordinated specialty care for early psychosis. Psychiatric Services 2021; 72:180-185; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000129; PMID: 33267653.

     

  41. Zern A, Seserman M, Dacus H, Wallace B, Friedlander, Manseau MW, Smalling MM, Smith TE, Williams JM, Compton MT: Screening and Treatment of Tobacco Use Disorder in Mental Health Clinics in New York State: Current Status and Potential Next Steps. Community Mental Health Journal 2021; 56:717–726; doi: 10.1007/s10597-020-00726-0

     

  42. *Smith TE, Haselden M, Corbeil T, Wall MM, Tang F, Essock SM, Frimpong E, Goldman ML, Mascayano F, Radigan M, Schneider M, Wang R, Dixon LB, Olfson M. Effect of scheduling a post-discharge outpatient mental health appointment on the likelihood of successful transition from hospital to community-based care. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2020; 81(5):20m13344; doi: 10.4088/JCP.20m13344

     

  43. Mascayano F, van der Ven E, Martinez-Ales G, Basaraba C, Jones N, Lee R, Bello I, Nossel I, Smith S, Smith TE, Wall M, Susser E, Dixon LB: Predictors of early discharge from early intervention services for psychosis in New York State. Psychiatric Services 2020; 71:1151–1157; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000025

     

  44. Goldman M, Mangurian C, Corbeil T, Wall MM, Tang F, Haselden M, Essock SM, Frimpong E, Mascayano F, Radigan M, Schneider M, Wang R, Dixon LB, Olfson M, *Smith TE: Medical comorbid diagnoses among adult psychiatric inpatients. General Hospital Psychiatry 2020; 66:16–23; doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.06.010

     

  45. *Smith TE: The role of hospital inpatient mental health care in modern health care systems. Psychiatric Services 2020; 71(9):967-968; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000091

     

  46. Mascayano F, van der Ven E, Martinez-Ales G, Restrepo Henao A, Zambrano J, Jones N, Cabassa LJ, Smith TE, Yang LH, Susser E, Dixon LB. Disengagement from early intervention services for psychosis: a systematic review. Psychiatric Services 2020; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900375

     

  47. *Smith T, Radigan M, Mascayano F: Does scheduling a post-discharge outpatient mental health appointment increase the likelihood of successful transition from hospital to community-based care?  Schizophrenia Bulletin 2020; 46(Supplement 1): S323–S324; doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa029.800

     

  48. Humensky JL, Bello I, Malinovsky I, Nossel I, Patel S, Jones G, Cabassa LJ, Radigan M, Sobeih T, Tobey C, Basaraba C, Scodes J, Smith TE, Wall M, Labouliere C, Stanley B, Dixon LB. OnTrackNY's Learning Healthcare System. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science 2020; 4:301–306; doi: 10.1017/cts.2020.35

     

  49. *Smith TE, Haselden M, Corbeil T, Tang F, Radigan M, Essock SM, Wall MM, Dixon LB, Wang R, Frimpong E, Lamberti S, Schneider M, Olfson M: Relationship between continuity of care and discharge planning after hospital psychiatric admission. Psychiatric Services 2020;71(1):75-78; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900233

     

  50. Haselden M, Corbeil T, Tang F, Olfson M, Dixon LB, Essock SM, Wall MM, Radigan M, Frimpong E, Wang R, Lamberti S, Schneider M, *Smith TE: Family involvement in psychiatric hospitalizations: associations with discharge planning and prompt follow-up care. Psychiatric Services 2019; 70(10):860–866; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900028

     

  51. *Smith TE, Kurk M, Sawhney R, Bao Y, Cohen DE, Nossel I, Dixon, LB: Estimated staff time effort, costs, and Medicaid revenues for coordinated specialty care clinics serving clients with first-episode psychosis. Psychiatric Services 2019; 70(5):425-427; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201900039

     

  52. *Smith TE, Abraham M, Berezin J, Cohen D, Dixon LB, Fish DG, Lincourt P, Myers RW, Pincus HA, Radigan M: A multi-stakeholder partnership to develop behavioral health quality and performance measures. Psychiatric Services 2019; 70: 247–249; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201800256

     

  53. Mascayano F, Nossel I, Bello I, Smith TE, Ngo H, Piscitelli S, Malinovsky I, Susser E, Dixon LB: Understanding the Implementation of Coordinated Specialty Care for Early Psychosis in New York State: A Guide Using the RE-AIM Framework. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2019;1–5; doi: 10.1111/eip.12782

     

  54. Nossel I, Wall MM, Scodes, J, Marino, L, Zilkha S, Bello I, Malinovsky I, Lee R, Radigan M, Smith TE, Sederer LI, Gu G, Dixon, LB. Results of a coordinated specialty care program for early psychosis and predictors of outcome. Psychiatric Services 2018; 69:863–870; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201700436

For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov