Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

2026 Sessions

Morning Roundtable

Kick off an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Presenter

Speaker

Friday, April 24 8:30–8:45 AM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

It’s Complicated: When Substance Use and Mental Health Collide

This session explores the complex interplay between substance use disorders and co-occurring psychiatric and medical conditions, equipping clinicians to better assess and manage these overlapping challenges. Participants will learn to apply harm reduction strategies and evidence-based screening and treatment tools while addressing the critical role of stigma in shaping patient engagement and outcomes. The session will also clarify the distinction between substance use disorders and physical dependence, supporting more accurate diagnosis and appropriate referral in clinical practice.

Speaker

Friday, April 24 10:45–11:15 AM
Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

LIVE Q&A Session

Join expert panelists from sessions throughout this section of the day as they answer your most pressing and popular questions from sessions so far.

Presenter

Speaker

Friday, April 24 11:15–12:00 PM
Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Steering Committee

Kevin Williams

MS, MPAS, PA-C
CEO and Lead Clinician
OnPoint Behavioral Health

Kevin N. Williams MS, MPAS, PA-C is the CEO and Lead Clinician at OnPoint Behavioral Health. He is a Physician Associate that specializes in Psychiatry and has a mission to provide care that is experienced, holistic, and compassionate. He holds two master degrees in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences and Physician Assistant Studies from the University of South Florida and South University respectively. He has gained experience treating children, adolescents, and adults for the past 11 years in the areas of inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care. Kevin has 10 years of experience teaching as an Adjunct Professor at several institutions around the country. Kevin also has over 10 years in executive leadership experience and maintains a passion of educating others to lead with effective influence. He has participated in mission work abroad and has enjoyed volunteering in several organizations in the Tampa Bay community. He enjoys spending time with his family along with his hobbies of aviation and traveling abroad.

Difficult Cases

Dive into real-world, complex clinical cases in this panel discussion among our experts. In this session, Dr. Rakesh Jain will share real-world examples of clinical cases with our faculty members and will discuss the challenges and most effective approaches to each.

Speaker

Friday, April 24 2:30–3:15 PM
Steering Committee

Rakesh Jain

MD, MPH
Clinical Professor
Texas Tech - Permian Basin

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr. Jain served a three-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Steering Committee

Andrew Penn

MS, PMHNP-BC
Clinical Professor / Director of Clinical Nursing Operations
University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing / Salma Health

Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP is a Professor in the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing where his teaching has received the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, among other recognitions. Trained as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, he directs clinical nursing operations for Salma Health an early stage psychiatric interventional treatment clinical company. As a researcher, he has collaborated on psychedelics studies of psilocybin and MDMA in the Translational Psychedelics Research (TrPR) and the Carhart-Harris labs at UCSF. A leading voice in nursing, he is a cofounder of the Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses (OPENurses.org), advocating for the perspective of nurses in psychedelic therapy, he has published on psychedelics in the American Journal of Nursing, Frontiers in Psychiatry, The Journal of Humanistic Psychotherapy, and JAMA. An internationally invited speaker, he has lectured at SXSW, Aspen Health Ideas Festival, TEDx, the Singapore Ministry of Health, and Oxford University and can be found at Andrewpennnp.com.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Evening Roundtable

Close out an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Presenter

Speaker

Friday, April 24 3:15–3:30 PM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Thursday, May 21 1:00–2:00 PM
Steering Committee

Brittany Albright

MD, MPH
Founder and Medical Director of Multidisciplinary and Interventional Psychiatry Practice
Sweetgrass Psychiatry; Medical University of South Carolina

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

LIVE Q&A Session

Join expert panelists from sessions throughout this section of the day as they answer your most pressing and popular questions from sessions so far.

Moderator

Speaker

Thursday, May 21 2:30–3:00 PM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Brittany Albright

MD, MPH
Founder and Medical Director of Multidisciplinary and Interventional Psychiatry Practice
Sweetgrass Psychiatry; Medical University of South Carolina

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Morning Roundtable

Kick off an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, May 22 8:00–8:15 AM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Difficult Cases

Dive into real-world, complex clinical cases in this panel discussion among our experts. In this session, Dr. Rakesh Jain will share real-world examples of clinical cases with our faculty members and will discuss the challenges and most effective approaches to each.

Speaker

Friday, May 22 3:15–4:00 PM
Steering Committee

Rakesh Jain

MD, MPH
Clinical Professor
Texas Tech - Permian Basin

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr. Jain served a three-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Steering Committee

Andrew Penn

MS, PMHNP-BC
Clinical Professor / Director of Clinical Nursing Operations
University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing / Salma Health

Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP is a Professor in the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing where his teaching has received the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, among other recognitions. Trained as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, he directs clinical nursing operations for Salma Health an early stage psychiatric interventional treatment clinical company. As a researcher, he has collaborated on psychedelics studies of psilocybin and MDMA in the Translational Psychedelics Research (TrPR) and the Carhart-Harris labs at UCSF. A leading voice in nursing, he is a cofounder of the Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses (OPENurses.org), advocating for the perspective of nurses in psychedelic therapy, he has published on psychedelics in the American Journal of Nursing, Frontiers in Psychiatry, The Journal of Humanistic Psychotherapy, and JAMA. An internationally invited speaker, he has lectured at SXSW, Aspen Health Ideas Festival, TEDx, the Singapore Ministry of Health, and Oxford University and can be found at Andrewpennnp.com.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Evening Roundtable

Close out an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, May 22 4:00–4:15 PM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Thursday, July 16 2:10–3:05 PM
Steering Committee

Brittany Albright

MD, MPH
Founder and Medical Director of Multidisciplinary and Interventional Psychiatry Practice
Sweetgrass Psychiatry; Medical University of South Carolina

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Morning Roundtable

Kick off an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, July 17 8:00–8:15 AM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Difficult Cases

Dive into real-world, complex clinical cases in this panel discussion among our experts. In this session, Dr. Rakesh Jain will share real-world examples of clinical cases with our faculty members and will discuss the challenges and most effective approaches to each.

Speaker

Friday, July 17 3:15–4:00 PM
Steering Committee

Rakesh Jain

MD, MPH
Clinical Professor
Texas Tech - Permian Basin

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr. Jain served a three-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Steering Committee

Andrew Penn

MS, PMHNP-BC
Clinical Professor / Director of Clinical Nursing Operations
University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing / Salma Health

Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP is a Professor in the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing where his teaching has received the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, among other recognitions. Trained as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, he directs clinical nursing operations for Salma Health an early stage psychiatric interventional treatment clinical company. As a researcher, he has collaborated on psychedelics studies of psilocybin and MDMA in the Translational Psychedelics Research (TrPR) and the Carhart-Harris labs at UCSF. A leading voice in nursing, he is a cofounder of the Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses (OPENurses.org), advocating for the perspective of nurses in psychedelic therapy, he has published on psychedelics in the American Journal of Nursing, Frontiers in Psychiatry, The Journal of Humanistic Psychotherapy, and JAMA. An internationally invited speaker, he has lectured at SXSW, Aspen Health Ideas Festival, TEDx, the Singapore Ministry of Health, and Oxford University and can be found at Andrewpennnp.com.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Evening Roundtable

Close out an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, July 17 4:00–4:15 PM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Morning Roundtable

Kick off an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, August 14 8:00–8:15 AM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

Supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Friday, August 14 10:30–11:15 AM
Steering Committee

Brittany Albright

MD, MPH
Founder and Medical Director of Multidisciplinary and Interventional Psychiatry Practice
Sweetgrass Psychiatry; Medical University of South Carolina

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Difficult Cases

Dive into real-world, complex clinical cases in this panel discussion among our experts. In this session, Dr. Rakesh Jain will share real-world examples of clinical cases with our faculty members and will discuss the challenges and most effective approaches to each.

Speaker

Friday, August 14 4:15–5:00 PM
Steering Committee

Rakesh Jain

MD, MPH
Clinical Professor
Texas Tech - Permian Basin

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr. Jain served a three-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Steering Committee

Andrew Penn

MS, PMHNP-BC
Clinical Professor / Director of Clinical Nursing Operations
University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing / Salma Health

Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP is a Professor in the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing where his teaching has received the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, among other recognitions. Trained as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, he directs clinical nursing operations for Salma Health an early stage psychiatric interventional treatment clinical company. As a researcher, he has collaborated on psychedelics studies of psilocybin and MDMA in the Translational Psychedelics Research (TrPR) and the Carhart-Harris labs at UCSF. A leading voice in nursing, he is a cofounder of the Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses (OPENurses.org), advocating for the perspective of nurses in psychedelic therapy, he has published on psychedelics in the American Journal of Nursing, Frontiers in Psychiatry, The Journal of Humanistic Psychotherapy, and JAMA. An internationally invited speaker, he has lectured at SXSW, Aspen Health Ideas Festival, TEDx, the Singapore Ministry of Health, and Oxford University and can be found at Andrewpennnp.com.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Evening Roundtable

Close out an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, August 14 5:00–5:15 PM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

Supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Thursday, October 08 10:30–11:15 AM
Steering Committee

Brittany Albright

MD, MPH
Founder and Medical Director of Multidisciplinary and Interventional Psychiatry Practice
Sweetgrass Psychiatry; Medical University of South Carolina

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Morning Roundtable

Kick off an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, October 09 8:00–8:15 AM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

It’s Complicated: When Substance Use and Mental Health Collide

Speaker

Friday, October 09 2:45–3:15 PM
Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Difficult Cases

Dive into real-world, complex clinical cases in this panel discussion among our experts. In this session, Dr. Rakesh Jain will share real-world examples of clinical cases with our faculty members and will discuss the challenges and most effective approaches to each.

Speaker

Friday, October 09 4:30–5:15 PM
Steering Committee

Rakesh Jain

MD, MPH
Clinical Professor
Texas Tech - Permian Basin

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr. Jain served a three-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Steering Committee

Andrew Penn

MS, PMHNP-BC
Clinical Professor / Director of Clinical Nursing Operations
University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing / Salma Health

Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP is a Professor in the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing where his teaching has received the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, among other recognitions. Trained as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, he directs clinical nursing operations for Salma Health an early stage psychiatric interventional treatment clinical company. As a researcher, he has collaborated on psychedelics studies of psilocybin and MDMA in the Translational Psychedelics Research (TrPR) and the Carhart-Harris labs at UCSF. A leading voice in nursing, he is a cofounder of the Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses (OPENurses.org), advocating for the perspective of nurses in psychedelic therapy, he has published on psychedelics in the American Journal of Nursing, Frontiers in Psychiatry, The Journal of Humanistic Psychotherapy, and JAMA. An internationally invited speaker, he has lectured at SXSW, Aspen Health Ideas Festival, TEDx, the Singapore Ministry of Health, and Oxford University and can be found at Andrewpennnp.com.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Evening Roundtable

Close out an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, October 09 5:15–5:30 PM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Morning Roundtable

Kick off an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, November 13 8:00–8:15 AM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Fighting Stigmas and Finding Solutions: Addressing Alcohol Use Disorder in Clinical Practice

Supported by an educational grant from Lilly.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent and often undertreated condition that exists along a spectrum of severity, yet stigma and inconsistent assessment continue to limit optimal care. This session will review the medical model of AUD and its role in improving recognition, reducing stigma, and guiding evidence-based treatment. Participants will gain practical skills in implementing validated screening tools and assessment strategies to support accurate diagnosis in diverse clinical settings. The session will also evaluate current behavioral and pharmacologic treatments, including best practices for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) selection, initiation, and maintenance. Finally, attendees will explore patient-centered, collaborative approaches to overcoming common barriers to effective AUD management. Clinicians will leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance outcomes for patients across the AUD severity spectrum.

Presenter

Friday, November 13 2:15–3:00 PM
Steering Committee

Brittany Albright

MD, MPH
Founder and Medical Director of Multidisciplinary and Interventional Psychiatry Practice
Sweetgrass Psychiatry; Medical University of South Carolina

Brittany Albright MD, MPH is a Harvard-trained, triple board-certified psychiatrist with clinical expertise in interventional psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and obesity medicine. She completed her adult psychiatry residency at the nation’s top ranked program, Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she serves as an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Albright is the Founder and CEO of Sweetgrass Psychiatry, South Carolina’s largest physician-owned psychiatry practice with three locations.

Her research and academic work include numerous abstracts presented at national meetings and peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on innovative treatments and psychiatric education. A national speaker and consultant, she serves as President Elect of the South Carolina Psychiatric Association and holds multiple leadership roles with Psych Congress, including co-chair of Psych Congress Elevate and originator of the Private Practice Summit.

She firmly believes in collaborative, comprehensive treatment and the restoration of wellness in her patients and practices psychotherapy with expertise in mentalization based therapy and psychodynamic therapy. She also holds certifications in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Difficult Cases

Dive into real-world, complex clinical cases in this panel discussion among our experts. In this session, Dr. Rakesh Jain will share real-world examples of clinical cases with our faculty members and will discuss the challenges and most effective approaches to each.

Speaker

Friday, November 13 4:30–5:15 PM
Steering Committee

Rakesh Jain

MD, MPH
Clinical Professor
Texas Tech - Permian Basin

Rakesh Jain, MD, MPH, attended medical school at the University of Calcutta in India. He then attended graduate school at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, where he was awarded a “National Institute/Center for Disease Control Competitive Traineeship”. His research thesis focused on impact of substance abuse. He graduated from the School of Public Health in 1987 with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree.

Dr. Jain served a three-year residency in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He followed that by obtaining further specialty training, by undergoing a two-year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Jain completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Research Psychiatry at the University of Texas Mental Sciences Institute, in Houston. He was awarded the “National Research Service Award” for the support of this postdoctoral fellowship.

Steering Committee

Andrew Penn

MS, PMHNP-BC
Clinical Professor / Director of Clinical Nursing Operations
University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing / Salma Health

Andrew Penn, MS, PMHNP is a Professor in the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing where his teaching has received the UCSF Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, among other recognitions. Trained as a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, he directs clinical nursing operations for Salma Health an early stage psychiatric interventional treatment clinical company. As a researcher, he has collaborated on psychedelics studies of psilocybin and MDMA in the Translational Psychedelics Research (TrPR) and the Carhart-Harris labs at UCSF. A leading voice in nursing, he is a cofounder of the Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses (OPENurses.org), advocating for the perspective of nurses in psychedelic therapy, he has published on psychedelics in the American Journal of Nursing, Frontiers in Psychiatry, The Journal of Humanistic Psychotherapy, and JAMA. An internationally invited speaker, he has lectured at SXSW, Aspen Health Ideas Festival, TEDx, the Singapore Ministry of Health, and Oxford University and can be found at Andrewpennnp.com.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Evening Roundtable

Close out an exceptional day of learning by joining Psych Congress Regionals expert faculty for a brief roundtable discussion about the state of mental healthcare – what’s here, what’s new, and what’s next. Gain unique perspectives on everything from disease-states to the work-life-balance of today’s clinicians and blooming opportunities in treatment.

Moderator

Speaker

Friday, November 13 5:15–5:30 PM
Steering Committee

Saundra Jain

MA, PsyD, LPC
Adjunct Clinical Affiliate, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing;
Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC, is an Adjunct Clinical Affiliate in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Austin and a psychotherapist in private practice. Dr. Jain is a co-creator of WILD 5 – A Proven Path to Wellness and co-author of The Science and Practice of Wellness: Interventions for Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience, and Optimism (HERO). She is the co-creator of the Psychedelics and Wellness Survey (PAWS), exploring the intersection between psychedelics and wellness. She is the co-host of the newly launched podcast Happy Human 3.0, which explores how modern humans can move beyond merely surviving 21st-century stressors and begin to flourish by integrating neuroscience, positive psychiatry, and compassionate, human-centered care.

In addition, Dr. Jain serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, helping guide educational priorities and identify emerging needs in mental health practice. She also teaches with Fluence Training, a leading provider of psychedelic education for mental health professionals, where she serves as faculty in their certification programs in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI) and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).

Steering Committee

Julie Carbray

PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Carbray holds her PhD (93) and Master of Science (88) degrees from Rush University, Chicago and her Bachelor of Science (87) degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago, she has been practicing as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner over 35 years. As UIC faculty, Dr. Carbray teaches course content in psychopharmacology, mood disorders, and development and therapeutic interventions with children and adolescents for students across various multidisciplinary programs. As the Director of the Pediatric Mood Disorder Clinic, Dr. Carbray leads the clinical program and multidisciplinary training and is a nationally recognized clinical expert in children and adolescents with mood disorders. Dr. Carbray holds a national reputation of excellence in serving families of children with mood disorders, and was recognized with the UIC Preceptor of the year award, the Karen Gousman Excellence in Nursing Award, the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Best Practices in an Outpatient Program for Bipolar Disorder Award, the UIC Inspire Award, the APNA Distinguished Service Award and the Susan McCabe psychopharmacology lectureship from the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses. Dr Carbray has presented her work nationally and internationally and across communities and organizations including the American Girl Company. With a particular focus on helping families to help their children with mood disorders, Dr. Carbray has engaged in programs of research that are investigating the psychopharmacology of mood disorders, neurobiology of mood disorders, and neurobiologically informed treatments and family response to childhood mood disorders.

Steering Committee

Gregory Mattingly

MD
Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine, Midwest Research Group, St. Louis, MO, United States

Dr. Mattingly is a physician and principal investigator in clinical trials for Midwest Research Group. He is also a founding partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates where he treats children, adolescents and adults. A St Louis native, he earned his medical degree and received a Fulbright scholarship while attending Washington University. Dr. Mattingly is board certified in adult and adolescent psychiatry and is a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University where he teaches psychopharmacology courses for the 3rd year medical students. Dr. Mattingly has been a principal investigator in over 400 clinical trials focusing on ADHD, anxiety disorders, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Having served on numerous national and international advisory panels, Dr. Mattingly has received awards and distinctions for clinical leadership and neuroscience research. Dr Mattingly is the President for APSARD-The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Workd Federation of ADHD. Having served on the board of Headway House, a community support program and as a certifed evaluator for both the NFL and MLB, Dr Mattingly is firm believer in holistic mental health, education and advocacy.

Steering Committee

Arwen Podesta

MD, DFAPA, DFASAM
Psychiatrist
Podesta Wellness

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

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