Steven A. Epstein, M.D.
Professor and Chair
Chief of Service
The Department of Psychiatry provides comprehensive clinical services for a wide array of conditions. Patients seen in our department are those who suffer from a broad range of psychiatric problems. We offer the full spectrum of care including intensive inpatient, partial psychiatric hospitalization and outpatient general and specialty services.
The missions to which we dedicate ourselves are to provide excellent clinical care, explore the new horizons concerning the causes of psychiatric illness and emerging treatment, provide community outreach and teach the physicians of the future.
Our Outpatient Clinical Services are divided into the General Adult Outpatient Psychiatry Service and our Specialty Programs. In addition, as part of our Residency Training Program, we operate a Residents' Training Clinic. This Clinic provides our advanced residents with their required training in outpatient psychotherapy and their first exposure to an environment which simulates their future practices. It enables us to offer high quality, carefully supervised care to individuals who seek psychotherapy and outpatient care and might not otherwise be able to afford such services. Our Inpatient Clinical Services include an inpatient unit, a partial (day) hospital program, and consultation to medical and surgical patients. As an academic medical center we offer access to the latest advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Collaboration with our colleagues in medicine and neurology and our access to the newest technologies in brain imaging and other diagnostic techniques allow us to uniquely provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment to inpatients and outpatients in one setting.
The Department of Psychiatry is staffed with Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers all of whom must meet the rigorous requirements for appointment to the faculty of Georgetown University School of Medicine and must also hold clinical staff privileges at Georgetown University Hospital .
Our goal of seamless patient care is foremost, and is accomplished through the collaboration of our inpatient, partial hospital, consultative and outpatient services. Emergency 24 hour coverage is available through the University Hospital Emergency Department. In addition, we have a psychiatric resident on call 24 hours daily through the University Hospital paging system.
Outpatient Programs
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services
The Department of Psychiatry provides information, education, prevention and aftercare services for patients with alcohol or drug abuse problems.
- Avram Mack, M.D.
- Babette Wise, LICSW
Child/Adolescent Outpatient Program
This program provides evaluation and treatment for children, adolescents and their parents for problems ranging from minor adjustment disorders to severe emotional disturbances. Children are seen as outpatients for problems such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, and Learning Disabilities. Georgetown Residents go to the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents in Southern Maryland as part of their clinical work in Child Psychiatry. Their work includes the assessment of children and adolescents referred by the courts.
- Michael Brendler, PsyD
- Avram Mack , MD
- Matthew Biel, MD
- Robyn Wechsler, MD
- Neal Horen, PhD
- Yasmin Jilla, MD
- Paul Jones, MD
- Kathy Katz, PhD
General Adult Outpatient Program
This program offers outpatient evaluation and therapy for patients 18 years and older including individual, family and group therapy.
- Mayada Akil, MD
- Kurt Ela, PsyD
- Judith Kupersmith, MD
- Wendy Zack, LICSW
- Hind Benjelloun, MD
- Priscilla Dass-Brailsford, EdD
- Daniel Hicks, MD
- John Little, MD
Geriatric Psychiatry Program
This program provides services for patients 65 years and older with symptoms of depression, dementia, and other psychological disorders.
- John Little, MD
Medical Illness Program
This program specializes in the evaluation and treatment of persons with concomitant medical and psychological problems. Each person is carefully evaluated with a clinical history of medical and psychological problems. Medical charts are reviewed and the referring physician is closely consulted in order to facilitate collaborative care. The program is open to anyone with concomitant physical and emotional concerns.
- Steven Epstein, MD
- Daniel Hicks, MD
- Carol Alter, MD
Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program
This program offers comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and treatment of the full range of mood and anxiety disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Services include pharmacotherapy and individual psychotherapy.
- Mayada Akil, MD
- Lawrence Park, MD
Psychooncology
This program offers adult outpatient psychiatric treatment for patients suffering from oncologic conditions. Referring physicians from the Lombardi Cancer Center are closely consulted in order to facilitate collaborative care.
- Carol Alter, MD
- Kim Davis, PhD
- Thomas Cummings, Jr, MD
- Janice Krupnick, PhD
Psychopharmacology Management
This program offers ongoing medications management to patients who are clinically stable in the maintenance phase of their treatment.
- Daniel Hicks, MD
Trauma and Loss Clinic
The Trauma and Loss Program will provide individual psychotherapy and psychopharmacological treatment for adults coping with single episode traumatic and/or complex trauma, including childhood physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, and political violence.
- Janice Krupnick, Ph.D.
Women's Mood Disorders Program
The Department of Psychiatry, in conjunction with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology offers a program to provide evaluation and ongoing management of psychiatric conditions in women such as post-partum depression and other mood disorders.
- Barbara Byers, MD
- Aimee Danielson, PhD
- Caroline Hall, PhD, LICSW
- Wendy Zack, PhD, LICSW
Inpatient Programs
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service
This service specializes in the evaluation and treatment of hospitalized patients at GUH who have concomitant medical and psychiatric history. Medical charts are reviewed extensively and the referring physician is contacted in order to facilitate collaborative care. A psychiatric consultation may be obtained on a 24 hour basis including weekends and holidays.
- Daniel Hicks, MD
- Steve Epstein, MD
- Carol Alter, MD
- Thomas Cummings, Jr., MD
- Matthew Biel, MD (pediatric)
Inpatient Hospitalization
The Mental Health Care Unit at GUH is a 14-bed open psychiatric unit in the general hospital. The Unit serves adult patients who have a variety of psychiatric disorders and require inpatient hospitalization. Patients are admitted on a voluntary basis and must be 18 years of age or older.
- Hind Benjelloun, MD
- Tom Cummings, MD
Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization Program
This is an intensive, short-term program designed for people with acute psychiatric symptoms who have experienced a decline in their social or occupational functioning. The primary indications for admission are prevention of an inpatient admission, shortening of an inpatient stay and facilitation of the transition back to life in the community, presence of serious, disabling symptoms, and impairment in multiple areas of daily functioning. The interdisciplinary treatment team employs a biopsychosocial approach with the aim of returning the patient to his or her optimal level of functioning. The staff strives to maintain close, collaborative relationships with referring treatment providers and to support the patient in taking an active, participatory role in the treatment process.
- John Little, MD
