Keep going … Blue Skies Ahead

I am a dually certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner. I am bilingual (Spanish/English). My background includes 12 years’ experience in multiple settings: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perioperative Care, Primary Care, Case management, and Urgent Care setting. I believe that every person has intrinsic worth, and value and I strive to make sure my patients are heard and understood in order to provide personalized care. A typical first appointment will include establishing rapport with my patient during the interview process followed by collaboratively defining a care plan that addresses his or her mental health needs that will, with time and determination, allow one to get back to what’s important in life.

Dr Sami’s passion for psychiatry began in his undergraduate studies, graduating as a neuroscience major from the University of Michigan, with a 3.9 GPA; for his academic excellence, he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa—America’s oldest honor society—joining the ranks of 17 former United States Presidents and 40 Supreme Court Justices.

Prior to becoming a physician, Dr. Sami was a public-school educator in New York City, teaching Algebra to middle schoolers. “I was originally brought on to help everyone pass their state exams… much to my surprise, they did. That’s when I knew there was something in education for me”.

At Rush University, Dr. Sami has three administrative roles:  executive chief resident, education chief, and internal moonlighting coordinator. As executive chief, Dr. Sami schedules 2 literature revie series: Rush’s journal club, and “Controversies in Psychopharmacology” (a literature review that finds new controversial topics in psychiatry). Along with faculty, he also organizes the PRITE exam review series; an avid test taker, Dr. Sami has also earned competitive scores—earning >90^th percentile  in neuroscience on his 2020 and 2021 exams, respectively. Dr. Sami also oversees Balint group (a support group for residents, designed to address physician burnout and promote wellness)..

As education chief, Dr. Sami oversees Rush’s Teaching Clinic—a new educational initiative designed to give medical students hand. He actively lectures medical students and residents. Along with his other co-residents, he helped developed a novel one-on-one tutoring series in which at-risk medical students receive help passing their NBME shelf exams; so far, 100% of Dr. Sami’s mentees have passed their shelf exams. Further engaging with his passion in neuroscience, Dr. Sami has also co-led a novel neuroscience curriculum, acting in concordance with reading materials designated by the NNCI (National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative).  Dr. Sami also gives lectures to his co-residents.

Dr. Sami is also the internal moonlight coordinator at Rush, ensuring continuous and effective psychiatric care for Rush’s emergency department; an avid moonlighter himself, Dr. Sami has logged over 1,000+ hours of experience in the emergency room—stabilizing high acuity situations like psychosis, mania, and agitation. In this role, Dr. Sami has accrued accounting and bookkeeping experience, and works closely with the payroll department.

Dr. Sami also has an active role in the Illinois Psychiatric Society, the Illinois branch of the APA. He serves on multiple committees, including the anti-racism committee and the government affairs committee.

Dr. Sami’s interests are in interventional psychiatry. He currently works in Rush’s TMS and ketamine clinic. In October, he worked with IV Chicago Solutions. He also shadowed Dr. Eugene Lipov, the pioneer of performing stellate ganglion block to treat PTSD.

Meet Aaron Mangin, PMHNP-BC!

Mental health issues come in many forms and with numerous etiologies. From chemical imbalances to painful events, burdens are created that one might have trouble dealing with on their own. It is at these times that I feel that the individual needs to be reminded of their strengths in overcoming their obstacles and shown that there is light to be found at the end of the tunnel. Too often, there is a stigma that people fight when it comes to mental health that keeps them from seeking help. I find it imperative that this be changed within our society so that the issue’s prevalence can be addressed with the care it requires.

Life has shown me the importance of the link between experience and emotion. People come from different backgrounds and traumas. Having worked with patients across the lifespan, I have seen patients find various ways to cope with their pains and overcome their traumas. Mental health helps should never be used to help someone “get over” any particular event or distress. Instead, the use of therapy and medications are tools to help people ‘get through’ the pain and find their footing in the world again.

Igor Grechukha has started his medical career by completing a critical care fellowship where he worked in the ER. He then continued his passion for mental health of working in an outpatient psychiatric crisis services while obtaining his master’s degree in Nursing focusing on PMHNP-BC.

He worked in an outpatient setting as a provider where he focused his treatment in adults with a variety of disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADHD, PTSD.

He focuses on providing upmost, up to date care to his patient. He actively listens to his patients and develops an individualized, comprehensive treatment plan along with input from his patients.

He believes that treatment starts from the top, using holistic approaches and addressing issues such as substance use, sleep, nutrition, mindfulness and exercise.

Igor believes that optimal treatment is done with the use of psychotherapy and psychotropic medication in order to achieve remission of symptoms and improve the quality of life. Igor keeps an open mind into treatment and likes to explore non-pharmacological options when its best suited for his patients. Igor is very judicial in his prescribing practices of different medications.

When Igor is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He has a three-year-old mini cockapoo pup named Finney. He enjoys being active, whether that is being on his road bike, Peloton, hiking or training in the gym. He loves to travel and explore different cultures.

Dr. Lynn Jacobson is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Downer’s Grove, IL. She works at BlueSky Telepsych.

Dr. Jacobson has a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. She earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, where she also completed her residency in psychiatry.

Dr. Jacobson has received Suzzane I. Park Memorial Resident Psychotherapy Award and was named Outstanding Student in Psychiatry. She is committed to helping her patients lead healthier lives and educating them on the choices they ought to make.

Caroline Gamble is a board certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner who treats adolescents and adults. Caroline began her career in mental health working as an inpatient psychiatric mental health nurse at The University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. After graduating from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with her Master’s degree, she joined BlueSky Telepsych.
Caroline’s experience includes a broad spectrum of clients with a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses, including but not limited to: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorders.

I am a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. I have been in the nursing field for over 20 years. I obtained my graduate nursing degree from the University of South Alabama and obtained my undergraduate nursing degree from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. In addition to nursing, I also hold a graduate degree in business administration. I provide evidence-based medication management for various mental health conditions. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family.

Madison Bertram is a board certified Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse
Practitioner that treats adults and adolescents. She completed her
undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky and received her
graduate degree from Northern Kentucky University. She began her career
as a registered nurse working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Madison
treats patients with a variety of mental health disorders including
depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and ADHD.
Madison believes in the importance of building a long lasting relationship
with her patients by providing an individualized approach to treatment. She
always encourages her patients to be an active participant in their
treatment and is committed to working together with them to reach their
unique goals.
Madison understands that seeking treatment for mental health disorders is
difficult but encourages those in need to do so, as everyone deserves to be
happy and healthy. She is focused on providing evidence based treatment
through the use of medication and nonpharmacologic treatments. She
takes the time to understand each patient’s unique situation and offer her
support through their mental health journey.
While not working, Madison enjoys being active outdoors, traveling, and
spending time with her family, friends, and pup!

As a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I am trained to provide advanced psychiatric care through psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. I plan to utilize my skillset to advocate for patients struggling with mental health issues across the lifespan, and to manage their treatment with empathy, understanding, and attention to holistic care. Ultimately, my professional goal is to work with mental health patients in disadvantaged communities, where the obstacles impeding adequate healthcare are made worse by financial restrictions and stigma surrounding seeking psychiatric care.

Dr. Richelle Strauss (formerly Porapaiboon), or as her patients affectionately call her, Dr. Richelle, is a trained Adult and Child Adolescent Psychiatrist.

She received her undergraduate degree from Purdue University and graduated from medical school at the University of Florida. She completed her residency at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and completed a fellowship at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

She specializes in psychiatric medication management of children, adolescents, and young adults, but works with patients of all ages. She strives to provide a secure environment for adults, adolescents, and children with behavioral and attention disorders. A secure environment is enhanced through Dr. Richelle’s use of Telepsychiatry: using telecommunications technology, usually videoconferencing, for her assessments and treatment. Thus, her clients are in a space they choose.

Her philosophy of practice is evidence-based at its core, and her evaluations often include laboratory or other screening procedures to rule out general medical causes. In addition, she offers consultation on evidence-based alternative therapies and nutritional guidance as appropriate, and as your individual needs and interests dictate.

Alex is aware that beginning your search for a therapist can be quite overwhelming. If you are ready for real change in your life and are tired of being stuck in the same routine, same fears, or same unhelpful thought patterns, then you will work very well together. She specializes in working with individuals struggling with relationship issues, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and life transitions. She uses EMDR to help people who have experienced trauma. She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Her style is direct, down to earth and focuses on a collaborative approach.

Faraz is passionate about both discovery and the practice of psychiatry. He trained at Rice University as an undergraduate and moved to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where he was part of the Medical Scientist Training Program, culminating in an M.D. and Ph.D. in Neurobiology. His academic interests include molecular and behavioral neuroscience, computational sciences, and translational psychiatry among others. Faraz stresses a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s clinical picture, integrating multiple lines of evidence to arrive at an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment regimen. His strategies are patient-specific and motivated by quantitative evidence derived from high-quality studies. Still, as an investigator, he understands psychiatry is a rapidly evolving field, and it is the goal of translational scientists to fill the gaps in our knowledge. Faraz consistently uses his best clinical judgement, combining fact and theory to care for his patients. Faraz is a strong proponent of multimodal approaches to patient care. He endorses appropriate use of pharmacology, therapy in a variety of settings, and novel and long-standing somatic tools. He strives for efficient deployment of evidence-based evaluation and treatment algorithms but simultaneously has a low threshold for questioning generic approaches, especially when treatment is less effective than expected. In his spare time, Faraz enjoys reading, running, and spending time with his family.

Ellie is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a focus on delivering high-quality mental health care. She embraces the use of telehealth to deliver safe, discreet, convenient, patient-centered care supported by evidence. Specializing in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment and management of a variety of mental health disorders, Ellie is an empathetic listener who believes that each patient requires unique attention. While all individuals can benefit from psychotherapy and some from psychotropic medication in their therapy plan, Ellie can explore all effective treatment options with you.

When not working with patients to set and achieve realistic treatment goals, Ellie is home with her family, reading, and crocheting.

Melody Stauffer, LCPC is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Illinois who has counseled children, teens, and adults for over 10 years. She graduated from Judson University with a bachelor’s in psychology. She then graduated from Argosy University in 2013 with a Master of Arts in Community Counseling. Her areas of expertise include: depression, anxiety, trauma, parenting, children/adolescents, communication issues, stress management, grief & loss, self-esteem issues, self-harm, substance abuse, psychosis, and crisis stabilization. Melody recognizes each client has their own story to tell and specific wounds to heal and will let her clients lead the way on their mental health journey. Melody is also trained in EMDR therapy that is helpful with patients with trauma, old or new.

Outside of work, Melody enjoys helping with her family farm and being outdoors.

Zanne Stevens is an LMSW licensed within New York who has been helping young children, tweens and teens, and adults for over five years. Her methods are holistic and integrative, and she views every facet of one’s healing as interrelated.
Zanne likes to establish a safe and sacred space for the client, free of judgment and criticism. Her style is influenced by modalities such as Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Jungian Therapy, Shadow Work, Trauma-Informed Care, and various arts-based approaches. She firmly believes that while the past does inform the present, it does not determine the future.
Zanne operates on the belief that at the heart of every creature lies the internal struggle of being enough. This belief lends assistance to the core of her work focusing on the client developing self-love and establishing self-worth. Once these critical concepts are embodied, together with the client she explores issues such as discovery of the authentic self, identity, and making meaning of one’s existence. She then encourages clients to further their therapeutic work with tools like creation and expression.
Zanne welcomes you to reach out to discuss embarking upon the therapeutic path collaboratively, together.

Linda Banks is a board-certified nurse practitioner in both psychiatry and family medicine. She completed her training at Samford University and has undergraduate degrees in both Psychology and Nursing. She is trained to work with all ages, including children.

Linda uses her education and experience to provide trauma-informed, inclusive, personalized care for every patient. She uses a holistic and integrative approach to take the whole patient into consideration. Her training helps her to understand both physical and mental health, and how to address the mind-body connection in her care.

Every treatment plan is different and carefully created based on evidence-based research and collaboration with the patient. Linda uses many tools to help patients, from psychotropic medications to alternative treatments. She believes in conservative prescribing by focusing on the lowest effective dose of medications and avoiding controlled medications.

Outside of work Linda is probably outside playing with her kid, swimming in a lake, or digging in the dirt.