Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board is rich in strong leadership in mental, and behavioral health. They are recognized both national and internationally. Also included are members from the financial services industry, law, and technology.

Gabrielle Shapiro, MD

Gabrielle Shapiro, MD is a double board certified psychiatrist in general adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. She is currently the Collaborative Care Senior Psychiatrist at Boriken/East Harlem Health Council and a clinical professor of psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai. She has done extensive work with children and adolescents with behavioral health needs, who are in the foster care system, and who have histories of engaging in sexually abusive behavior. She is the founding board member for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Political Action Committee. She has presented extensively on cyber bullying, trauma and the behavioral health needs of children. She won the Hulse Award in 2017 from the New York Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the 202 Bruno Lima Award for her role as a leader in the disaster relief efforts in San Diego.

Leo Bernhardt, MD

Leo Bernhardt is a triple board certified physician in Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease and General Adult Psychiatry. Thanks to his medica lresearch background and experience, Dr. Bernhardt helped pioneer the engineering of Interferon, a medication that has revolutionized the world of virology. He is one of the best-known clinicians in Psychopharmacology, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and he has won numerous teacher awards. His rigor in clinical care and clinical documentation and teaching is unparalleled.

Patrice Malone, MD

A Child and adolescent psychiatrist, and founder of the Dr. June Jackson Christmas Medical Student Summer Fellowship program, Dr. Malone is a community psychiatrist at heart and her main interests are in education and addiction in justice involved youth.

Manoj Pardasani, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., A.C.S.W.

Manoj Pardasani, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., A.C.S.W., is a Senior Associate Dean, Faculty Research Scholar at the Ravazzin Center for Social Work Research in Aging and Associate Professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. He has a Master’s of Social Work degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University.

Manoj started his social work career in senior centers and that sparked his lifelong passion for the study of senior centers. He is the nation’s leading researcher on senior centers and has conducted a number of studies on senior center programming, characteristics of senior center administrators and participants, and policy advocacy by senior centers, which have been published in peer-reviewed, academic journals. Recently he compiled an exhaustive bibliography of all research and publications related to senior centers from 1978 to 2008. He is the recipient of the 2004 and 2011 Outstanding Researcher Award from the National Council on Aging (NCOA). He serves as the Principal Researcher on the National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC) and has been a part of their Research, New Models and Policy sub-committees. In the last three years, he has conducted two national studies related to senior centers. The first study explored and identified emerging, innovative models of senior centers around the country, while the second evaluated the advocacy practices and policy concerns of senior center administrators. In 2009, he was funded by the Fan Fox and Leslie Samuels Foundation to conduct an extensive review of senior centers in New York City. His study surveyed senior center administrators, participants and non participating older adults to identify needs, challenges, program models, participation trends and highlight factors critical to modernization. This study led to the development of 10 new innovative senior centers in NYC. He also completed a 3-year, longitudinal, quasi-experimental study of the impact of senior center participation on the health and well-being of older adults, the first of its kind in the US. His studies have directly led to strategic improvements in program models, caseload sizes and increased funding for community-based services for older adults.

In addition to senior centers, Dr. Pardasani’s research has explored community-based programs for older adults such as case management, volunteer visiting, grandparent caregiving, as well programs for people living with HIV/AIDS. He has conducted research nationally and internationally, and served as a visiting scholar in China, Germany, Chile, Korea, Taiwan and India.

He has served as a consultant to the Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York City (a membership and advocacy association of senior centers), the California Commission on Aging, and the State Associations of Senior Centers in California, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee and Florida. He is the past President of the New York State Society on Aging (SSA), Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA) and the National Social Welfare Alliance.

He is the Chair-elect of the National Nominating Committee of the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE), a Fellow in the CSWE Program Directors Academy (2016) and a Fellow in the New York Academy of Medicine. In 2012, he was the recipient of the prestigious German Academic Exchange Fellowship (DAAD). In 2016, he was awarded the Mid-Career Exemplary Social Work Leader Award by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Andrea Calabrese, LCSW, CASAC, DSW

Andrea Calabrese has held several positions at all levels in social work. These include and are not limited to her role as clinician, supervisor, director, administrator, and consultant. Some of her areas of expertise include trauma, substance use, management, supervision, teaching, project management and program development.

Leonard Davidman, PhD

Leonard Davidman is an experienced psychologist, with passion for teaching, supervision and mentorship.

Mary Pender Greene, LCSW

Mary Pender Greene, LCSW-R, CGP, is career & executive coach, psychotherapist and consultant with a private practice in Manhattan. Mary is a thought leader in the social services industry, recognized by her peers for her novel ideas on coaching, training, mentoring, and sharing knowledge. She has 20+ years of experience helping individuals, companies and non-profit organizations.
Mary is the president & CEO of MPG Consulting (MPGC), a NYC based consultant group with significant experience in providing capacity building services. MPGC is committed to ensuring that organizations serving populations of color are prepared to provide transformative culturally and racially attuned clinical, programmatic and administrative services. Its racially and culturally diverse team brings experience as coaches, clinicians, trainers, managers and organizational consultants in mental health, health, schools, child welfare, and other social service settings. The New York State Education Department’s State Board recognizes MPG Consulting as an approved provider of continuing education credits (CEs) for mental health professionals: LCSW, LMSW, LMHC, LMFT, LCAT. MPGC is a New York State certified minority and women owned business enterprise (M/WBE).
She is the author of Creative Mentorship and Career-Building Strategies: How to Build Your Virtual Personal Board of Directors (2015) and co-editor of Strategies for Deconstructing Racism in the Health and Human Services (2016).
Mary’s background includes executive management roles at America’s largest non-profit organization, The Jewish Board of Family Services (JBFCS) in NYC. During her tenure, Mary held several leadership roles, including Assistant Executive Director, Chief of Social Work Services, Director of Group Treatment, and Director of the agency’s Confronting Organizational Racism Initiative. JBFCS serves 70,000+ families of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds each year in 160 programs with a staff of 3,400.
She has designed and facilitated presentations and workshops both nationally and abroad, on topics spanning relationships, career development and leadership. With her uplifting and compelling style she engages and empowers audiences while facilitating life-changing insights. Mary employs a genuine passion for helping people and delivers knowledge and tools that can be applied for a lifetime.
Mary received her M.S.W. in Social Work and B.S in Pre‐Social Work from New York University.
212.245.2510•marypendergreene.com•mpg@marypendergreene.com

Patricia Joyce, DSW

Patricia Joyce is an associate professor at Adelphi University School of Social Work. She received her B.A. from St. John’s College, in Annapolis, Maryland, her M.S.W. from Hunter College, and her D.S.W. from the CUNY Graduate Center. She has published and presented nationally and internationally; her research focuses on trauma, culture, and mental health; and she has worked in a child abuse treatment program and inpatient psychiatric units with children, adolescents, and their families. In addition to her scholarly work, she has consulted to social service and mental health agencies in the New York area.

Jason Kurtz, LCSW

Jason Kurtz is the Director of Training at the Training Institute for Mental Health, a post graduate program which provides advanced, ongoing training in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. A graduate of NYU, he is also a psychoanalyst in private practice, where he incorporates EMDR and mindfulness with psychoanalysis. In addition, he has written a book, Follow the Joy, and two short plays, Posturing and Tell Me Your Crazy.

Neil Leibowitz, MD

Neil Leibowitz is a physician, a trained attorney, and a trained economist, with significant experience in social medicine, public health, community mental health, and correctional health. He served as mental health director for correctional health services in New York City for five years, has done private practice for eight years, and has extensive experience in leadership, management, public speaking, teaching, supervision and coaching.

Stephanie Lemelle, MD

Stephanie Lemelle is the current Director of the Columbia Public Psychiatry fellowship, a first class institution and program, internationally known, and has served as model for several fellowships both nationally and globally. She has vast experience in all areas of mental health, in teaching, management, supervision, leadership, program development, and project management. She has held several management and leadership positions in community mental health, and she also serves as faculty at Columbia University.

Annelle Primm, MD

Annelle Primm followed the path of her father, the late Dr. Beny Primm, and became a physician. She received her training in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins and has held some of the highest positions of service in American psychiatry, including Deputy Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the oldest medical specialty organization in the United States, and has served as APA’s Director of OMNA (Office of Minority and National Affairs) now known as the Division of Diversity and Health Equity. Dr. Primm has co-edited three books, has published numerous articles on community mental health and cultural psychiatry, has designed course curricula for SAMHSA and community mental health authorities, and has mentored countless well-known physicians throughout the world. She is currently the Chair of the All Healers Mental Health Alliance (AHMHA), an organization of physicians, social workers, psychologists, faith leaders, and health advocates which, for more than a decade, has facilitated culturally sensitive responses to the mental health needs of marginalized populations affected by disasters including Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.

Jules Ranz, MD

Jules Ranz is the immediate past director of the Columbia Public Psychiatry fellowship whose fame and recognition are owed to him. He prides himself in the ability to focus on one thing and excel at it. After his degree in Mathematics from Harvard University, Dr. Ranz attended medical school, and has become a pioneer in social medicine, public health and community mental health. His legacy goes beyond the United States and his mentees are found in several continents, including Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, among others.

Stephen Rosenheck, PHD, LCSW

Stephen Rosenheck is a guru in public health related matters, health policies, and public and community mental health systems of care. He currently serves as faculty at Columbia University, teaching and supervising physicians, at the Columbia University Public Psychiatry fellowship, a premier program in the global community.

Paul Summergrad, MD

Paul Summergrad, M.D., is the Dr. Frances S. Arkin professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and psychiatrist-in-chief at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Summergrad has served since 2005 as the founding chairman of the Tufts Medical Center Physicians Organization, a multi-specialty faculty medical group which he also served as interim president and chief executive officer from 2014-2016. In 2014-15, Dr. Summergrad served as the 141st president of the American Psychiatric Association, and is a past president of the American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry. He is a member of the Tufts Medical Center and the Wellforce boards of trustees.

Dr. Summergrad served as chief of Inpatient Psychiatric Services at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1987-1998 and as associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He served as staff to the Partners Mental Health Strategic Planning Committee of the Partners Board of Trustees in 1996-97 and as network director of the Partners Psychiatry & Mental Health System from 1997-2004. From 2000-2002 he served as the executive vice president for medical affairs and chief medical officer of the North Shore Medical Center where he oversaw quality, physician integration and the physician group while also serving as chief of psychiatry. He was a member of the Partners Healthcare System Executive Committee from 2000-2004. He served in 2013-14 as the chair of the American Hospital Association Governing Council for psychiatric and substance abuse services. In 1999 Dr. Summergrad chaired the Harvard University Provost’s Committee on Student Mental Services and currently co-chairs the Tufts University Mental Health Task Force with the President of Tufts University.

An international leader in medical psychiatric illness and care, Dr. Summergrad’s research focuses on mood disorders, medical-psychiatric illness, and health system design. He has published extensively with over 100 peer review publications, books, book chapters and other communications. He serves on the editorial boards of Academic Psychiatry, Current Psychiatry and Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry and guest edited a special issue of Academic Psychiatry on strategic planning in academic departments of psychiatry. A sought-after speaker, educator and consultant, he has served as a visiting professor and has given invited lectures throughout the United States and internationally. He is a member of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 Steering Committee of the American Psychiatric Association and the Standing Committee on Nominations of the World Psychiatric Association. He chaired the work group of the APA board of the role of psychiatry in health care reform, which commissioned the Milliman report on the total health care costs associated with psychiatric illness. He is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists and of the American College of Physicians and has received numerous other awards and honors including Castle and Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors from 2011 to the present. Most recently he received the Distinguished Faculty Award from Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr. Summergrad earned his medical degree from the School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1978 where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha in his junior year. He completed his training in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital and Boston University School of Medicine and in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he was chief resident and a clinical fellow in psychiatry. He is board certified in both Psychiatry and Internal Medicine.

Alex Tsekouras

Alex Tsekouras is Vice-President at Savoy Bank and has extensive experience in sales and finances. He is an invaluable addition to our board.

Allison Upton, PsyD

Allison Upton provides technical assistance to grantees and supports policy development and projects specializing in the intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health issues. Prior to joining the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, Dr. Upton worked at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES) as the Director of Court Programs, where she oversaw the court and community operations of several alternative-to-incarceration (ATI) and detention (ATD) programs serving adults with behavioral health needs in New York County. While at CASES, she developed a gender-specific track of ATI services for women involved with the justice system and provided training on evidence-based practices in screening/assessment in justice settings, gender-responsive recidivism risk assessment, trauma-informed case management practices, and cognitive-behavioral group interventions aimed at minimizing risk of recidivism. Dr. Upton previously worked as a staff psychologist in inpatient services at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center and as the director of an outpatient program at the Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center. She received her BA in psychology from the University of Miami and her MS and PsyD in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University.