Mental Health REACH Initiative

Upstate Mental Health REACH Initiative is an educational activity founded by the Department of Psychiatry in 2022 and funded by the Patrick Lee Foundation and the Mother Cabrini Foundation. REACH Initiative aims to increase the competencies of primary care providers in diagnosing and treating mental health disorders most commonly seen in their practice. Each REACH cycle consists of a one-day intensive workshop followed by ten weekly ECHO sessions. The program is FREE for all participants, and the intensive workshop is awarded 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Each ECHO session is awarded 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. In the past two years, over 300 participants from 51 counties in the state of New York have attended our program.

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We are excited to share that we are now also present on social media! Please see below for links and follow us:

Please find below part of the testimonial provided by one of the family nurse practitioners (FNP) who attended our program:

“I first attended the REACH workshop in October 2022. The providers presenting during the workshop offered a great overview of psychiatric illnesses, evaluation tools and treatment recommendations. The access to the information via the online platform, made it very easy to attend. The ability to ask for clarification, or ask for case-specific recommendations, encouraged me to continue to attend the ECHO sessions afterwards. Given that these sessions were scheduled during lunch hour, provided a great opportunity to learn, without taking time away from patient care. Increasing the awareness of treatment options for mental illness, within the primary care space, leads to a more holistic care approach that benefits the patient. This is what The Upstate Mental Health REACH Initiative has helped to foster. I can now, more confidently, initiate care for several common mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, insomnia, without the need for initial evaluation by Psychiatry. If I still feel that Psychiatry evaluation and treatment is warranted, I better know how to risk assess for conditions such as suicidality, and am able to then refer to the appropriate level of care. I highly recommend the REACH Initiative to any provider looking to offer a more well-rounded approach to care. The Upstate Mental Health REACH Initiative is truly breaking down the silos of healthcare, and bridging a gap for patients in need.”

Director

Nevena Radonjic, M.D. Ph.D.

Dr. Radonjic is an Assistant Professor and Interim Vice Chair of Education at the Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate. Dr. Radonjic has been devoted to education over the past 20 years and has been privileged to teach students and residents in various academic settings and develop educational programs. She is currently the director of Grand Rounds for the Department of Psychiatry, organizing presentations on the latest updates in clinical treatments and scientific research in mental health. The focus of her clinical work is Reproductive Psychiatry and mental health care of Indigenous Americans. Her current research is focused on the impact of sex steroid hormones on human brain development. Dr. Radonjic has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals such as CNS Drugs, Molecular Psychiatry, Cell Reports, and Cerebral Cortex, written chapters for educational textbooks, and presented her work internationally.

Coordinators

Marcy Guzik

Marcy is a graduate of Drexel University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. She joined SUNY Upstate in 2021 as a coordinator for the Psychiatry Residency where she collaborates daily with residents. Marcy holds a key role in coordinating the continuous medical education program for Departmental Grand Rounds. From January 2022, Marcy has taken the role of coordinator for Upstate Mental Health Initiative REACH.

Rosemarie (Ro) Earle

Ro joined SUNY Upstate in 1989 in the Office of Student Admissions. In 2018, she joined the Psychiatry Department as Administrative Assistant to the Chair of the Department. In 2024, she took on the role of a Co-Coordinator for the Upstate Mental Health Initiative REACH.

Yasmeen Awayda

Yasmeen, a Syracuse University graduate with a bachelor's degree in biology and a Master of Public Health from SUNY Upstate, began her career in the Psychiatry Department in January 2022 as a Medical Office Assistant for the Treatment Resistant Depression Program. Over the past year, she advanced to the role of Operations Manager at the Psychiatry Faculty Practice, where she has built strong relationships with many faculty and staff members through her diverse responsibilities. She is joining Upstate Mental health REACH initiative as a social media coordinator.

Speakers

Thomas Schwartz, MD

Seethalakshmi Ramanathan, MBBS, MPA

Nevena Radonjic, MD/PhD

Robert Gregory, MD

Zsuzsa Meszaros, MD

Nayla Khoury, MD

Prashant Kaul, MD

Nanette Dowling, DO

Mitchell Brodey, MD

Tolani Ajagbe, MBBS

Christopher Lucas, MD

Kristina Zdanys, MD

More Information

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Registration

Next workshop will be virtual via Zoom on Thursday, April 10th, 2025.

Registration Link:
https://upstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIqd--opzkrGNxF0dXaN72pvZgBNyLxUEPo

Project ECHO

The REACH ECHO sessions are taking place on Wednesday’s at 12 pm starting from March 5th, 2025. No registration is needed to attend the session, but we will ask you for your name, institution and email in order to provide educational credits. Each REACH ECHO session is awarded 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and 1 contact hour for Social Works.

Join Zoom ECHO Sessions

Cycle 6 - March-May 2025 | Wednesday's at 12pm

3/5/2025	Justin Meyer - When medications fail -when to consider neuromodulation
3/12/2025	Kathryn Hagen - Grief in primary care practice
3/19/2025	Thomas Schwartz – Sleep-wake Disorders in Primary Practice
3/26/2025	Nevena Radonjic - Mood Stabilizers: Key Considerations for Primary Care Providers
4/2/2025	Sutanaya Pal - A primer on Personality Disorders
4/23/2025	Sean Smith - Assessment and Treatment of Severe Challenging Behavior
4/30/2025	William Sullivan – Autism Spectrum Disorder in Primary Practice
5/7/2025	Kristina Zdanys - Parkinson's Psychosis in Primary Care
5/14/2025	Justin Meyer - Diagnosis and management of schizophrenia: update for primary providers
5/21/2025	Robert Ostrander -Pharmacogenomics: Mental Health