Expert Opinions

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI), a Penn State Health Enterprise owned by Penn State Health, proudly showcases the academic journey of Dr. Elisabeth J. Kunkel. With a career spanning decades, Dr. Kunkel’s path from an intellectually curious student at McGill University to a pioneering leader as PPI’s Chief ...

The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) is at the forefront of addressing mental health challenges in the Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities, with Dr. Janet Passley-Clarke leading significant initiatives. With over 25 years in mental health, Dr. Passley-Clarke brings a wealth of experience and insight to her work for the central Pennsylvania ...

In the heart of central Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) is leading a transformative approach to mental health through Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This program is not just therapy but a beacon of hope for those battling intense emotional struggles. In an interview with Shana Rivera, Clinical Supervisor of DBT at PPI, the ...

The team at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) understands that treatment is not always clinical. There are other creative therapy options, like art therapy, that help the recovery process and contribute to healing and rehabilitation. Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art as the primary mode of communication. This can be done ...

Mental health and substance abuse, though not always co-occurring, are often linked together. “Mental health and substance use disorders are independent, but frequently overlap. 15-20% of those with a mental illness will also have a substance use disorder, where 60-70% of those with a substance use disorder will have a co-occurring mental health disorder” ...

For over seven years Shannon Rudy, MS, MBA, LPC, has been the Child and Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program Manager at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI). Prior to becoming the program manager, Shannon was a Family Based Program Director for Cumberland and Perry counties. She also has experience in being a manager of an Alternative Living ...

Beb Moore Campbell was an advocate who worked diligently to shed light on the mental health needs of the Black and other underrepresented communities. Because of her work, Congress formally recognized July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding ...

National Nurses Week, held from May 6 to 12, is a time to recognize and appreciate the incredible work and dedication of nurses across the country. This year, we’re shining a light on psychiatric nursing, a vital field in healthcare that often faces unique challenges. In an interview with Tiffany Downs, MSN RN, director ...

Bettering one’s mental health is not a solo journey. Apart from the providers and care team involved, the unsung heroes are the family and friends who are there to support and take care of that person outside of a clinical setting. With over 44 million Americans with mental health conditions, it’s easy to see ...

Psychiatric Care for Mature Adults with Dr. Graziane For the past five years, Julie Graziane, MD, has been an inpatient psychiatrist at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI). Among other responsibilities, Dr. Graziane co-oversees the mature 55+ unit, putting her passion and fellowship in geriatric psychiatry to use. “I co-oversee the geriatric inpatient unit with another ...

The holidays can be a time for merriment and joyous occasions, but for some it can bring stress, sadness and even depression. Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute’s (PPI) Licensed Counselor and Unit Therapist, Nikki Fogle, educates us on the “Holiday Blues” and provides advice on how to work through it. “The holiday blues consist of feelings ...

Patient Transfers: PPI’s Relationship with Local Hospitals Charles B. Mormando, DO, is Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute’s (PPI) Medical Director for Admissions. He is also the Associate Director for neuromodulation, PPI’s lead on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services and research and he plays a role in improving PPI’s access to local hospitals. Previously a resident of New ...

Depression: Signs, Treatment, And How to Help October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month. During this month, Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) hopes to bring more awareness to this disorder, and with the help of one of their psychiatrists, educate on the symptoms, treatment and how family members can help. Ankit Jain, MD, ...

Children and Mental Health: Dr. Pathak Explains the Child Programs at PPI Meenal Pathak, MD, wears several hats at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI). Dr. Pathak takes care of the child partial hospitalization program, which she has overseen since 2018, she also spends time in the child outpatient clinic, all the while being a Penn ...

The Hispanic Clinic with Dr. Diaz During National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15, 2022, we celebrate the achievements and contributions of Hispanic champions who have inspired others to succeed. To start off, we want to highlight one of our own, Ailyn Diaz, MD, who has been a part of our team since 2015. ...

Vot-ER: Dr. Graziane’s Drive for Civic Health Julie Graziane, MD, has been an inpatient psychiatrist at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) for the Mature 50+ unit for five years. Though the Geriatric unit is her home, she also helps to cover the other adult units at PPI. Outside of her love for helping care for ...

PPI, an LGBTQ Ally – Dr. Dalke Explains This month, Katharine Dalke, MD, MBE, celebrates 5 years at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI). She started her time at PPI in the inpatient unit, and moved to outpatient in 2019, where she worked in the dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) program while building her own clinic for ...

By Elisabeth Kunkel, MD Chief Medical Officer Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute Covid Impact on Providers One thing is for certain: Covid has made life harder for everyone, and the providers and staff at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) are no exception. What started out as figuring out new protocols with PPE supply shortages soon turned into ...

Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI) is taking bold steps to improve access to inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services for patients from Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, Lebanon, and York counties and beyond. A joint venture of Penn State Health and UPMC-Pinnacle, PPI is the region’s only academic free-standing psychiatric institute, and we’re committed to making it ...

PPI is helping to revolutionize management and treatment for patients who have opioid use disorders through its new Advancement in Recovery (AIR) Program / Opioid Treatment Program. The program recognizes medication-assisted treatment as the gold standard of care and provides a way to fast-track people who have an opioid use disorder into treatment. In ...

At the end of March 2017, I became Chief Medical Officer for the Pennsylvania Psychiatric institute (PPI), a joint partnership between Penn State Health, the Department of Psychiatry at Penn State University College of Medicine and UPMC Pinnacle.  After spending 28 years at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where I served as Vice Chair ...