Rebecca Barbee

Rebecca Kraus Barbee, PA-C, CAQ-Psych is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in psychiatry at Southlake Psychiatry in Davidson, North Carolina. With advanced certification in psychiatry (CAQ-Psych), she is deeply engaged in the clinical management of complex mood and anxiety disorders, with particular expertise in psychopharmacology, novel antidepressant therapies, and treatment-resistant depression.

Rebecca is an active national speaker and educator, frequently presenting on emerging therapies, anhedonia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder recognition, and innovative treatment strategies. She is passionate about translating clinical trial data into practical, evidence-based strategies that improve patient outcomes. In addition to her clinical practice, she has contributed to media discussions on mental health awareness and is committed to advancing education for fellow clinicians through conference presentations and collaborative academic initiatives.

She is an active member of the Association of PAs in Psychiatry, AAPA, and NCAPA, and is dedicated to elevating the role of Physician Assistants in psychiatric care through leadership, education, and advocacy.

Dr. Craig Chepke is a Board-Certified psychiatrist in clinical practice as the medical director of Excel Psychiatric Associates in Huntersville, NC. He serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry for the Atrium Health Psychiatry Residency Program and is the Chief Medical Officer of the Psych Congress portfolio of Continuing Education conferences. Dr. Chepke earned his medical degree from NYU School of Medicine and completed his psychiatry residency at Duke University. As part of an interdisciplinary treatment team in his practice, he employs a person-centered care model to tailor treatments to each individual's needs, integrating traditional pharmacotherapy with psychotherapeutic and physical health and wellness interventions. His clinical and academic interests include serious mental illness, movement disorders, ADHD, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chepke has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and is a recipient of the NAMI Exemplary Psychiatrist Award.

have given the opportunity to attend this meeting/ workshop to express the differences challenges my beloved mom went through .

Rebecca Kraus Barbee, PA-C, CAQ-Psych is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in psychiatry at Southlake Psychiatry in Davidson, North Carolina. With advanced certification in psychiatry (CAQ-Psych), she is deeply engaged in the clinical management of complex mood and anxiety disorders, with particular expertise in psychopharmacology, novel antidepressant therapies, and treatment-resistant depression.

Rebecca is an active national speaker and educator, frequently presenting on emerging therapies, anhedonia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder recognition, and innovative treatment strategies. She is passionate about translating clinical trial data into practical, evidence-based strategies that improve patient outcomes. In addition to her clinical practice, she has contributed to media discussions on mental health awareness and is committed to advancing education for fellow clinicians through conference presentations and collaborative academic initiatives.

She is an active member of the Association of PAs in Psychiatry, AAPA, and NCAPA, and is dedicated to elevating the role of Physician Assistants in psychiatric care through leadership, education, and advocacy.

Josh Luftig, PA-C, is co-founder of The Bridge Center (formerly CA Bridge) and Director of Clinical Innovation at the Public Health Institute, and President-Elect of the Society of Addiction Medicine PAs (SAMPA). With over 25 years in emergency medicine, he is a nationally recognized expert in substance use disorder treatment who has pioneered scalable approaches to medication for addiction treatment and naloxone distribution in acute care settings. A sought-after speaker at national conferences, Josh translates evidence-based practices into real-world implementation. His clinical innovations include co-establishing one of the nation’s largest ED-based MAT programs at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA, and co-developing a high-dose rapid buprenorphine induction protocol published in JAMA Network Open (2021), now widely adopted as an ED standard of care. Under Josh’s leadership, California’s statewide ED naloxone initiative expanded 200-fold—from one hospital in 2019 to 200 by 2023. As of August 2026, this program has distributed more than 1.15 million naloxone doses through EDs at no cost to recipients, making it the nation’s largest ED-based naloxone distribution project.

Rebecca Kraus Barbee, PA-C, CAQ-Psych is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in psychiatry at Southlake Psychiatry in Davidson, North Carolina. With advanced certification in psychiatry (CAQ-Psych), she is deeply engaged in the clinical management of complex mood and anxiety disorders, with particular expertise in psychopharmacology, novel antidepressant therapies, and treatment-resistant depression.

Rebecca is an active national speaker and educator, frequently presenting on emerging therapies, anhedonia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder recognition, and innovative treatment strategies. She is passionate about translating clinical trial data into practical, evidence-based strategies that improve patient outcomes. In addition to her clinical practice, she has contributed to media discussions on mental health awareness and is committed to advancing education for fellow clinicians through conference presentations and collaborative academic initiatives.

She is an active member of the Association of PAs in Psychiatry, AAPA, and NCAPA, and is dedicated to elevating the role of Physician Assistants in psychiatric care through leadership, education, and advocacy.

Jason Carter, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry, is a psychiatric physician associate practicing in outpatient psychiatry in Virginia. He earned his Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Mary Baldwin University as a part of their first cohort and has been practicing in psychiatry for just over seven years.

Jason provides care for patients across the lifespan with a broad range of psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, trauma-related disorders and aberrant behavors associated with advanced stage dementia. His clinical approach emphasizes evidence-based psychopharmacology, individualized treatment planning, and longitudinal care tailored to each patient’s needs.

He has a strong interest in advanced psychopharmacology, including the practical application of evolving research, novel mechanisms of action, and treatment strategies for complex and treatment-resistant presentations. Jason is committed to translating psychiatric evidence into clear, clinically relevant guidance that supports real-world decision-making for advanced practice providers.

He has earned the Certification of Added Qualification in Psychiatry (CAQ-Psychiatry) through the NCCPA and values ongoing education and professional development. Jason is beyond honored to have been selected as one of this year's New and Emerging Voices for Psych Congress Elevate 2026.

Erin Crown is a Board Certified Physician Assistant with a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Psychiatry, and the Managing Member of Oasis LifeCare in State College, PA. Having formerly provided care on an inpatient stabilization unit, she currentlly practices psychiatry in the outpatient setting and leads a first episode psychosis program.. She is the owner of Future Options Research and is the Principal Investigator for multiple clinical trials. Erin is the past Chair of the NCCPA Health Foundation, a member of the PArtners in Mental Health Steering Committee, and is also working with AAPA and the PA Foundation to bring trauma informed education to school districts across the country.