Diversity, Inclusion, Culture & Equity (DICE) Board
The Department of Psychiatry’s Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity Board (DICE Board) consists of nominated representatives from the Department’s five divisions who meet twice per month to discuss and create opportunities for enhancing diversity and inclusion regarding departmental needs for:
- Promoting a culture of respect
- Building a healthy work environment for all department employees
- Providing culturally relevant care and training
The D.I.C.E. Board will operate similarly to the Department of Psychiatry’s Diversity & Cultural Awareness Leadership Team (DCALT), except that all divisions will be required to have representatives at the table to assure all of the Department’s strengths and challenges are utilized and addressed. The focus of this Board will primarily be on the identification and promotion of targeted (per division/program needs): Education, Training, Collaboration, Practice Integration, Policy and practice improvement, and Identifying ongoing professional development & training needs.
DICE Board members will be nominated by their Divisional Leaders and Peers and serve for two years. Members will need to have one to three hours of protected time per month to attend DICE Board meetings and to attend to follow-up activities within their division. Members will be responsible for hosting meetings at their site and include arranging for Zoom capability.
Current DICE Board Members
Linda Alpert-Gillis, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Clinical Nursing at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. She has been a faculty member here for 33 years. She is the Director of the Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Outpatient Services for the Depts of Psychiatry and Pediatrics. In this role, she oversees all child and adolescent behavioral health outpatient care for children from birth to 18 years of age serving approximately 50,000 patient visits annually. Dr. Alpert-Gillis also is the Director of the Lab for Innovation in Child Mental Health Care Delivery and the Director of the Child Postdoctoral Fellowship Training program. Her clinical, training, and research efforts have focused on at-risk and under-served populations. She has worked to train, recruit, and retain diverse staff and faculty throughout her career. She created the Racial Justice Initiatives Team in the Child Psychiatry Division and is committed to its goals to promote and facilitate racial and social justice initiatives within our staff members, with our patients and their families, and in the community. She believes, “We need to listen; We cannot be silent; We must all take responsibility for change.”
Marie (Hasitavej) Bilinkski, PMHNP in Telepsychiatry, Specializing in Geriatric psychiatry
Being subject to and witnessing racism (as a Thai-American), sexism, ageism, and religious prejudices generated my interest in being on the DICE board. I hope my personal experiences will be influential in achieving the collective goals and mission of our group, in addition to learning from the wisdom of our group. Officially I represent the geriatric and Asian-American population, and my main interest is keeping an “eye out” for any acts of “unfairness” within policies, health care delivery, employee needs, etc., plus promoting handicap friendly treatment settings. My favorite role models emulating inclusiveness and loving kindness are babies and pets—they have NO concept of racism and divisiveness!
Adam Brownfeld, PhD, EMBA, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and serves as Assistant Director of Behavioral Health Partners (BHP) within the Division of Collaborative Care. Dr. Brownfeld obtained his PhD from Gallaudet University and Executive MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology. He completed his internship and postdoctoral training at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, FL. Majority of clientele were Latin American Deaf individuals impacted by language deprivation. As a Deaf psychologist fluent in ASL and spoken English, he also has experience in providing therapy to geriatric populations and conducting psychological evaluations to individuals with co-morbid medical conditions. As a DICE Board Member, Adam hopes to improve workplace culture, social justice, and outcomes for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, & Deaf-Blind individuals.
Robert Calhoun
I served in the United States Navy for 21 years and have been working for Strong Memorial Hospital for 22 years. 20 of those years, I’ve worked in Psychiatry on unit 29200, In the last two years, I have been working at the Older Adult Clinic in an outpatient setting. I am an Afro America male who is hard working, and I have been faced with unfair treatment, racial profiling due to my skin color over the years, and not by my character. I am a member of the Dice Board, and I am happy, and proud to be a part of positive change, and to bring attention to racial, and unfair treatment to people of color.
Thomas Cardot, BA, Health Home Quality Assurance Coordinator, Strong Ties – Health Home Care Management
I am the Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Health Home Care Management program at Strong Ties. I've been with the program for 3 years, two of which were as a care manager. I joined the DICE board because I recognize the importance of its mission. I've worked with many individuals who have experienced varying degrees of discrimination in their interactions with healthcare professionals. Joining the DICE board will allow me to help create positive change to address this issue.
Julie Caster, RN, Medicine in Psychiatry Services Primary Care (MIPS-PC)
I have worked for URMC since 2004 and have worked in multiple roles in the inpatient and ambulatory settings in the psychiatry department. I am the Practice Manager/Assistant Nurse Manager at MIPS primary care clinic and certified through ANCC for psychiatric mental health nursing. As a DICE board member, I aim to promote a culture of respect, guidance, and education surrounding diversity, inclusion, culture, and equity.
Ian Cero, PhD, Center for the Study of Prevention of Suicide
My background is in Psychology and Statistics, with most of my clinical and research work focusing on suicide and PTSD. My number one service priority as a DICE Board member is finding ways to measure the kinds of changes we would like to bring about in the department. My intention is to make sure we get valuable quantitative credit for our successes and useful information for making progress on the issues that challenge us.
Javauni Forrest, MA, MHC-LP, RN, BSN
Javauni is the Behavioral Health Clinical Resource Nurse for the the Dept. of Psychiatry and a Family Psychiatric Mental Health NP-DNP doctoral candidate. He came to medical-surgical and psychiatric nursing as a mental health therapist, bringing eight years of clinical experience serving members of historically disenfranchised communities with a focus on those living with serious and persistent mental illness. Prior to moving to Rochester, Javauni worked in New York City’s non-profit sector serving those living with mental illness across an array of industries including HIV/AIDS advocacy and research, supportive housing and eviction prevention, child welfare, outpatient substance use treatment, and harm reduction/health and wellness advocacy and promotion. He joined the DICE Board with the intention of collaborating with like-minded individuals to address systemic oppression in the hospital community by cultivating a culture that prioritizes (physical and psychological) safety, nurtures and respects individual and collective growth, and champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, while actively challenging the status quo.
Annabel Fu, MD
I am an Asian American who has an increased interest in DICE-related activities n addition to my own personal learning and growth in this area. In the past year I have helped start an AAPI support group, participated and completed ARCTT training, become a mentor for APAMSA (Asian Pacific Medical Student Association), and attended webinars/presentations/talks in the community about DICE-related topics. It's been an eye-opening experience to realize how much has already been done and how much further we still need to go in addressing racism and inequity. Now I am interested in taking the next step in joining a group of like-minded individuals to develop and facilitate change in our psychiatry department to be diverse, inclusive, culturally responsive, and equitable.
Autumn Gallegos, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and licensed clinical psychologist. Her research explores the effects of mind-body interventions on posttraumatic stress symptoms among survivors of trauma. She is also an experienced Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor and teaches MBSR courses to faculty and staff of URMC. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. Her pre-doctoral and postdoctoral work in the URMC PRIDE (Program of Research and Innovation in Disparities Education) program, and advanced postdoctoral work at the VISN 2 Center of Excellence, focused on the delivery and study of interventions with traumatized populations.
Jennifer Harewood
Leah Hill, MEd
My name is Leah Hill and I work as the Clinical Engagement Specialist for the AYA Program at Strong Recovery. Adopted as an infant into a beautiful family of 4, I was raised in Ontario, NY and began a journey of walking the “in-between.” As a half- black/half-Native child, my lens and experience growing up set me on a course of curiosity and seeking. I spent a great deal of my childhood and adolescents traveling the country, increasing my exposure the beauty of our diverse nation. A full athletic scholarship to George Washington University allowed me to pursue my BS in Psychology. Upon graduation, I was recruited and accepted a 2-year offer to be a corps member in Teach For America-Phoenix, where I went on to work in urban Title 1 schools, obtain my M.Ed and become well acquainted with the diversity and nuances in life out west. I’ve had the privilege to travel internationally a number of times, including a year-long sabbatical in Italy.
Through all of these experiences it became that much more apparent to me how diversity creates a technicolor light to this life and this world. I’ve been the “outsider” and “other” many times for many reasons, and I’ve received the kindness and generosity of spirit from many beautiful souls along the way. This is what makes me so passionate about cultivating and creating more space for people to thrive and feel appreciated and included. I’m excited to work with a team of people united in the common purpose that is co-creation and coming together, to develop a platform upon which everyone can rise feeling supported and seen. I hope that, through my experiences and with an eagerness to learn more about yours, I can be a positive contributing member to the D.I.C.E. Board in your continued work to create a more inclusive & compassionate culture for our employees, students and those we serve.
Melissa Huntzinger, RN
Melissa Huntzinger, RN is an Acute Care Coordinator who has worked on 1-9200 (Inpatient Medicine & Psychiatry) since 2010. She joined the DICE Committee because she is passionate about providing an inclusive environment for coworkers and patients, and enjoys the opportunity to examine and improve her practices. Melissa hopes to help facilitate change within the psychiatry department and her home community.
Chinh Huynh, LMFT
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working at the HEAL Collaborative, within the Department of Collaborative Care and Wellness, doing trauma-focused therapy with people who experience interpersonal violence and trauma. I am a Vietnamese- Canadian immigrant and have been at the University of Rochester since 2015. I joined the DICE board with the goal to hold myself, my clinic, my department, and my community accountable to working towards racial equity and cultural humility.
Deborah King, PhD is Professor Emerita in the URMC Department of Psychiatry. As a career educator, she has worked actively to promote inter-professional training for clinicians, training faculty and researchers in university, community, and VA settings. She served previously as Associate Chair for Education, Chief of Psychology, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry Services, and Director of Psychology Training in the Department of Psychiatry. She also served as Director of Fellowship and Graduate Training at the VA VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention in Canandaigua, New York. Her scholarship focuses on late-life depression and suicide, as well as family interventions for older adults with mental health challenges or life-threatening medical illnesses.
Amanda Lai is an Arts and Communication Specialist working with the DICE office. In her role, she manages the Department of Psychiatry’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She also curates and leads exhibitions at the Bridge Art Gallery, a community gallery dedicated to diminishing mental health stigma. She is interested in promoting an environment of culturally sensitive care at UR Medicine. She is also particularly interested in addressing mental health in the Asian American community.
Megan Lytle, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Lytle's clinical and research expertise is in multiculturalism, with a particular focus on the health and suicide disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) individuals. She received a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Seton Hall University and completed internship training as well as a National Research Service Award (5T32MH020061) in Suicide Prevention Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In addition, she completed a research-based internship with the International Association of Applied Psychology NGO at the United Nations. Dr. Lytle is a licensed psychologist and is a member of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Division 44 (the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues) Youth and Families Committee. I am interested in being involved with DICE since improving Diversity and Inclusion in our department is very near and dear to my heart.
Sandra Mitzner, MD
Jason "Jay" M. Monahan, PhD, PMHNP-BC, NEA-BC
Dr. Monahan is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner @ University of Rochester's psychiatric emergency department (CPEP). He currently serves as a Nurse Ethics Liaison for his department, and an APP Psychiatry representative for the hospital's DEI committee. He has served as a faculty member at various colleges both at the graduate and undergraduate level, most recently servicing as Faculty at University Of Rochester's School of Nursing in the PMHNP department. With over 25 years of healthcare experience, in all settings (Inpatient, outpatient, ambulatory, management, education.) Jay brings a dynamic, diverse background to our board.
Diane Morse, MD
I work in the Women’s Initiative Supporting Health (WISH) Program. WISH provides medical care and peer community health workers to help linkage to needed physical, mental, and substance use treatment for women who are involved in the justice system. I provide care at MIPS and also do related research. I have a long interest in equity around race, ethnicity, the justice system, and economic opportunities. I have been working at the University and the community on these issues. I would like to focus on retention and development at the University in this group. I love to cook and I have 2 dogs and a cat.
Amanda O'Hearn, Ph.D. started with the university in 2001. Her primary hat is with the Deaf Wellness Center where she treats clients and supervises the DWC clinicians. She also does research with the National Center for Deaf Health Research. She has been involved in the department's efforts at improving diversity and inclusion for the past 18 years and has a particular interest in creating and dissemination of cultural and linguistic adaptations for the Deaf population.
Telva Olivares, MD is an internist–psychiatrist at the University of Rochester and the Associate Chair of Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity in the Department of Psychiatry. Since 1999, Dr.Olivares has overseen the delivery of comprehensive medical care to complex patients in both the inpatient Med-Psych unit (IMIPS) and its sister outpatient primary care practice, MIPS. She is Medical Director of Lazos Fuertes, providing mental healthcare to Rochester's Latinx population through a team of bicultural/bilingual professionals. She has extensive clinical and administrative experience in all aspects of acute services and is currently the Medical Director of Interventional Psychiatry Program, where she has established the very popular Interventional Psychiatry Certificate Course for psychiatric residents.
Luke Paddock, RN
I’m a mental health nurse who has worked at URMC for past 9.5 years. I worked on 4-9000 (child and adolescent inpatient psych) for 9 years, currently working in outpatient adult psychiatry at the U of R psychiatric medication consultation clinic. I subscribe to the philosophy of Radical Empathy, always trying to better understand someone’s perspective, even when I disagree, in order to connect more deeply with them. I hope to continue to broaden my knowledge and understanding about diversity, inclusion, culture, and equity and improve patient care with this better understanding.
Neha Pawar, MD completed medical school in India and then came to the United States for training. She completed a one-year General Surgery internship at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and then transitioned into a residency in psychiatry at URMC. She completed a multidisciplinary pain medicine fellowship and is now an addiction medicine fellow also at URMC. She is very passionate about chronic pain and addiction issues in diverse populations and looks forward to bridge the gap.
Anna Pettway, PhD Änna Pettway, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Pettway is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of complex trauma and the intersections between trauma, pain, and eating. While earning her Ph.D. at the University of Detroit Mercy (2014), she gained valuable insights into the impact of race-based stress and somatic responses to trauma. Since then, she has been working professionally to address systemic barriers to inclusion and justice. Her scholarship explores the connections between intergenerational trauma, race-based traumatic stress, and health outcomes. She joined the DICE board because she is determined to disrupt systems of oppression and to help create an ever more inclusive, culturally humble, and trauma-informed environment.
Elaine Rigney, MD
Tziporah Rosenberg, PhD, LMFT, Associate Professor
As a “bordercrossing” faculty member in the Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine, and as a clinician trained in the importance, value, and critical perspective of systems and relationships, I am committed to promoting a culture in which patients, staff, faculty, and other leaders feel seen, respected, represented, honored, invited, and safe. My role as a clinical director as well as an educator spanning multiple learner groups and clinical service areas affords me not only an opportunity but also a responsibility to keep myself and others accountable for our shared work toward creating and sustaining an inclusive and welcoming environment, as well as honestly and earnestly grappling with those things that threaten its creation. I am especially interested in learning with and from others, listening more than talking, and using my voice to promote meaningful change, now, here, and at all of the “tables” at which I sit.
Arielle Sheftall, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry in Rochester, New York. She is also the Director of Academic Affairs for the Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity (DICE) Board for the department. Her research focuses on the developmental mechanisms in early to middle childhood that confer vulnerability to future suicidal behavior. It is her goal to frame targets for early intervention to decrease incidence of a first suicide attempt in at-risk youth. Additionally, Dr. Sheftall is interested in the racial disparities present in suicidal behavior among youth. She is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce that continues to examine risk factors, practice, and policy recommendations necessary to decrease suicidal behaviors in Black youth and is a subject matter expert for the Office of Minority Health focusing on mental health promotion and suicide prevention for Black youth.
Caroline Silva, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry (SMD). Broadly, her research has examined interpersonal risk factors for suicide via the lens of a contemporary theory of suicide—the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. In particular, Dr. Silva has examined the role of two forms of social disconnection—thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness—in suicide risk among high-risk populations, including sexual minorities, military service members, and clinical outpatients. Dr. Silva’s current program of research is focused on integrating the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide with cultural determinants of health to inform the development and evaluation of suicide prevention interventions for at-risk Hispanics.
Traci Terrance, PhD, LCSW
Serina Tetenov, PhD, LCSW-R is currently the Clinical Director of Adult Mental Health and Wellness at the University of Rochester Medical Center, which includes the Adult General Ambulatory Psychiatry Service, the Deaf Wellness Center, Gender Wellness, and Lazos Fuertes. Prior to joining the URMC Department of Psychiatry, Tetenov directed the Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency (FLACRA) Outpatient Mental Health Clinic for Monroe and Yates counties. In this role, Tetenov provided clinical supervision, oversaw the onboarding of new hires, developed and implemented policies and procedures, assisted clinicians in meeting productivity targets, and built strong clinical teams. Additionally, Tetenov taught social and cultural diversity at Medaille College (Rochester campus) and was a Sign Language Interpreter at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for several years.
Bobbie E. Welch
Jennifer West, PhD specializes in the assessment and therapeutic treatment of children with acute and chronic medical conditions, especially asthma, vocal cord dysfunction, Type I diabetes, craniofacial anomalies, abdominal pain, and encopresis. She also has expertise in the treatment of anxiety, mood disorders, and adjustment disorders in children and adolescents. Dr. West is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Track of the Psychology Doctoral Internship Program. Dr. West's' current research focus is on the measurement of implementer fidelity and competence, the relationship of these constructs to intervention outcomes, and the implications for training interventionists.