Chelsie Monroe

Dr. Michael Asbach, DMSc, PA-C is a doctorally trained Physician Assistant and Associate Medical Director at the DENT Neurologic Institute in Buffalo, New York. He earned his Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Daemen University and his Doctor of Medical Science from A.T. Still University. He also holds the Psychiatry Certificate of Added Qualification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
A nationally recognized educator and CME speaker, Dr. Asbach specializes in treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, and emerging psychiatric therapies. He holds a faculty appointment with Shenandoah University’s Doctor of Medical Science program, teaches across multiple universities, serves on the Psych Congress Steering Committee, and is a co-chair of the Psych Congress PA Institute annual meeting.

Dr. Asbach’s work bridges clinical innovation, professional advocacy, and disruption in healthcare, with a focus on advancing psychiatry, elevating the PA profession, and shaping the future of collaborative care.

Chelsie Monroe is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of a group private practice, Balanced Mental Wellness in Littleton, Colorado where she serves as medical director. She has over 15 years of experience working in a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient, psychiatric emergency services, forensics, community mental health, and private practice settings. She specializes in complex trauma, forensics, addiction, and severe mental illnesses, and has special interest in psychedelic assisted therapies and entrepreneurial APN roles. Chelsie is board certified in Integrative Psychiatry, and is an expert in ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP). She is trained as a psychotherapist and believes the relationship is the key to being an excellent clinician.

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.

Desiree Matthews, MSN, PMHNP-BC is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner and the founder of Different Mental Health Program, a multi-state telepsychiatry practice providing integrative, patient-centered psychiatric care. Her clinical work centers on the evaluation and treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, ADHD, and the identification and management of drug-induced movement disorders.

Ms. Matthews is particularly interested in early intervention and longitudinal treatment planning for serious mental illness, with an emphasis on functional recovery and relapse prevention. Her professional interests include long-acting injectable antipsychotics, emerging pharmacologic treatments, and the responsible use of telehealth to expand access while maintaining high standards of care. In addition to her clinical practice, she is actively involved in clinician education and regularly presents on psychiatric treatment planning, practice sustainability, and navigating the evolving mental health care landscape.

Chelsie Monroe is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of a group private practice, Balanced Mental Wellness in Littleton, Colorado where she serves as medical director. She has over 15 years of experience working in a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient, psychiatric emergency services, forensics, community mental health, and private practice settings. She specializes in complex trauma, forensics, addiction, and severe mental illnesses, and has special interest in psychedelic assisted therapies and entrepreneurial APN roles. Chelsie is board certified in Integrative Psychiatry, and is an expert in ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP). She is trained as a psychotherapist and believes the relationship is the key to being an excellent clinician.

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.

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.

Desiree Matthews, MSN, PMHNP-BC is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner and the founder of Different Mental Health Program, a multi-state telepsychiatry practice providing integrative, patient-centered psychiatric care. Her clinical work centers on the evaluation and treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, ADHD, and the identification and management of drug-induced movement disorders.

Ms. Matthews is particularly interested in early intervention and longitudinal treatment planning for serious mental illness, with an emphasis on functional recovery and relapse prevention. Her professional interests include long-acting injectable antipsychotics, emerging pharmacologic treatments, and the responsible use of telehealth to expand access while maintaining high standards of care. In addition to her clinical practice, she is actively involved in clinician education and regularly presents on psychiatric treatment planning, practice sustainability, and navigating the evolving mental health care landscape.

Chelsie Monroe is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of a group private practice, Balanced Mental Wellness in Littleton, Colorado where she serves as medical director. She has over 15 years of experience working in a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient, psychiatric emergency services, forensics, community mental health, and private practice settings. She specializes in complex trauma, forensics, addiction, and severe mental illnesses, and has special interest in psychedelic assisted therapies and entrepreneurial APN roles. Chelsie is board certified in Integrative Psychiatry, and is an expert in ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP). She is trained as a psychotherapist and believes the relationship is the key to being an excellent clinician.

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.