Southern California Society of Child
& Adolescent Psychiatry
About the Southern California Society of Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists
SCSCAP is the regional organization of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and a member organization of the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAL-ACAP). SCSCAP represents the interests of child and adolescent psychiatrists and their patients at both the state and national levels, specifically through organizational activities and advocacy efforts of the two umbrella organizations.
In addition, SCSCAP conducts monthly business meetings, organizes local advocacy efforts, provides representation in the governance bodies of AACAP and CAL-ACAP, and sponsors educational events for its members. All SCSCAP members are members of AACAP and CAL-ACAP.
Sabrina Reed, MD MACM
President
Sabrina Reed is the Associate Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Psychiatry at UCLA and holds an appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor in the division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is originally from the suburbs of Chicago where she earned a BA in psychology at Northwestern University and completed her medical degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Following her psychiatry residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she participated in the clinical educator track, she completed a fellowship in child & adolescent psychiatry at UCLA and served as chief fellow.
Dr. Reed has built a career as a clinician educator and held many roles since completing fellowship including serving as the associate program director for the USC/LAG psychiatry residency and as assistant director for the psychiatry clerkship at the Keck School of Medicine.
Dr. Reed currently serves in various clinical roles at UCLA including supervising psychiatry trainees and medical students on the child & adolescent inpatient unit and the child & adolescent emergency and consult-liaison psychiatry service. In addition to these clinical roles, Dr. Reed has developed her expertise in clinical education and is passionate about training the next generation of psychiatrists. She completed a masters in academic medicine at the University of Southern California and currently serves as a track director for the UCLA psychiatry residency program, a specialty advisor for medical students interested in psychiatry, and as a co-chair for the clinician educator area of the distinction.
Elizabeth Dohrmann, M.D.
President-elect
Dr. Elizabeth Dohrmann is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist working for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health in their Juvenile Justice Mental Health Program. Dr. Dohrmann was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, attended Yale College where she studied autism spectrum disorders, and worked at UCSD and Vanderbilt conducting autism assessments prior to attending medical school at the University of Tennessee. She completed her psychiatric residency at New York University where she received specific training in forensic and public psychiatry, collaborative care, and family therapies. Dr. Dohrmann completed her child psychiatry fellowship at UCLA, where she served as Co-Chief Fellow. In addition to her work for the county, Dr. Dohrmann regularly conducts evaluations for asylum seekers through Physicians for Human Rights and is a psychiatric consultant for the Westside Regional Center, serving individuals with developmental disabilities. Her clinical, policy, and research interests include optimization of community-public-academic partnerships for screening and care of underserved populations in schools, primary care practices, and prisons; development and implementation of alternatives to incarceration; implementation of the collaborative care model for pediatric populations; family-based psychotherapies; supports for transitional aged youth with developmental disabilities; medical student/trainee teaching; and human rights advocacy.
Anish Dube, M.D.
Vice President
Anish R. Dube serves as the inaugural Program Director for Riverside University Health System (County of Riverside)'s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, through his appointment as an associate clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Loma Linda University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from UCLA, obtained his Doctor of Medicine from Ross University and his Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) from Brown University. He completed his general psychiatry residency training at the University of Connecticut, before pursuing his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Brown University and then his forensic psychiatry fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He recently received his Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) from UCLA.
Anish has a particular interest in psychiatric graduate education, the intersection of human rights, public health, and psychiatry, and the ethical issues that arise out of the ordinary practice of medicine and psychiatry. He has participated in panels at national and international meetings on topics ranging from the nation-state’s role in psychic displacement and psychopathology to adolescent decision-making capacity, integrated care, false confession phenomenology, climate change and mental health, digital technologies and child and adolescent mental health, and the effects of parental separation on children and youth. His clinical interests include family-based interventions, and working with young people involved in the legal system and those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Anish currently serves as a member of the American Psychiatric Association (APA)'s Committee on Practice Guidelines and is the Deputy Representative for Area 6 of the APA's Assembly. He is a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and presently serves on AACAP's ByLaws Committee. He is also on the editorial board for the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, and a member of the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry (GAP)'s Arts and Humanities Committee. He has previously served as Chair of the APA's Council on Children, Adolescents and their Families and its Foundation (APAF)'s selection committee for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, in addition to being a former member of GAP's Publications Board.
Rishi Parikh, M.D.
Treasurer
bio coming soon
Sneha Venkatraman, M.D.
Secretary
Sneha Venkatraman, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at USC and Associate Program Director of the USC/LA General Medical Center Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. She serves as Ward Chief for the Augustus Hawkins Inpatient Adolescent Unit at LA General. She is ABPN board-certified in Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Dr. Venkatraman attended Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies, double majoring in Psychology (with honors) and Medicine, Health & Society. She obtained her M.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She then completed her psychiatry residency training at the University of Arizona - Tucson where she served as Program Chief. While there, she gained valuable clinical experience through a two-year Integrative Psychiatry in Residency Track affiliated with the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. She trained at the UCLA-Semel Institute for Child and Adolescent psychiatry fellowship where she served as the Inpatient Chief and completed the Clinician-Educator Area of Distinction. She has had multiple leadership roles within the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health. She is passionate about bringing the integrative approach to training experiences by reflecting the bio-psycho-social formulation in treatment planning and patient care. She also has interests in medical education, prevention and early intervention, and systems advocacy work.
Nithya Ravindran, D.O.
Diversity Committee Chair
Dr. Nithya Ravindran is a board-certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and is on faculty at Charles R. Drew University. Dr. Ravindran completed her medical degree at Michigan State University followed by a residency in Psychiatry at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. She further specialized in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, also at Tulane University. After training, Dr. Ravindran was recruited to establish a fellowship program in child psychiatry at Charles R. Drew University in South Los Angeles, where she holds a faculty position as Assistant Clinical Professor and Associate Program Director in the Department of Psychiatry.
She directs the child psychiatry collaborative care clinic for the Safe Healthy and Resilient Kids (SHARK) program at Rancho Los Amigos in Downey, CA where she supervises fellows, residents and medical students. Her professional areas of interest include holistic and integrative approaches to trauma, infant and perinatal mental health, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and advocacy efforts aimed at understanding and decreasing health disparities in marginalized communities that result from systemic and structural policies.
Mahta Baghoolizadeh, M.D.
Early Career Psychiatrist Representative
Mahta Baghoolizadeh, MD is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. She is a recent graduate of the UCLA Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program, finishing her training in June 2023. Dr. Baghoolizadeh has since joined UC Irvine as an Assistant Professor and currently serves as the Medical Director of the UC Irvine Adolescent Partial Hospital Program.
Dr. Baghoolizadeh earned her medical degree from UC Irvine in 2018, followed by her adult psychiatry residency at UCLA. She fast-tracked into the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at UCLA, where she distinguished herself as a co-chief fellow and pursued the Clinician-Educator Concentration as part of her training.
Her current interests include medical education at all levels of training and advancing multidisciplinary care for patients with severe mental illness.
Ed Castelo, M.D.
Early Career Psychiatrist Representative
bio coming soon
Christopher Chamanadjian, M.D.
Member-in-Training Representative
Dr. Christopher Chamanadjian is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at Charles R. Drew University. Christopher graduated from UCLA majoring in Psychobiology, obtained his medical degree from St. George's University, and completed his general psychiatry residency at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. He has experience in various healthcare settings treating diverse minority populations in underserved communities. He has a passion for child and adolescent psychiatry, especially in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and the impact of social media on the developing brain. During medical school he co-founded Health 2.0 Irvine, a nonprofit that showcases healthcare startup companies to investors. Dr. Chamanadjian has a strong background in healthcare innovation, having worked for Cognoa, a pediatric behavioral healthcare startup that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose autism. He was part of the team that obtained the first ever FDA approval for a digital behavioral health diagnostic device for autism. His passion fuels him towards leadership roles within AACAP serving in the Media Committee as well as the Health Promotion and Prevention Committee. Dr. Chamanadjian is interested in using technology, advocacy, and program development to improve barriers in mental healthcare access for diverse and underserved communities.
Hannah Nguyen, M.D.
Member-in-Training Representative
Han (Hannah) Nguyen is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at the University of Southern California/Los Angeles General Medical Center. Her interest in Psychiatry began early as she pursued her undergraduate studies at UCLA, earning her degree in Psychobiology with double minors in Neuroscience and Evolutionary Medicine. Dr. Nguyen completed medical school at St. George's University and her Psychiatry residency training at the busy San Bernardino county hospital, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. Dr. Nguyen initially became involved in AACAP after presenting her research on Effects of marijuana use in pregnancy at the 2024 annual conference. Dr. Nguyen's interests include intellectual disability, neurodevelopmental disorders, promoting access to mental healthcare in vulnerable populations, and developmental trauma. Her passions also lie in community work, as she is currently sitting on the Mental Wellness Initiative Advisory Board serving Tanzania, founded a club to help teach swimming in Grenada, and more locally involved in regular volunteering for adaptive surfers and promoting mental health in the Vietnamese community. Dr. Nguyen aims to advance mental healthcare and support the well-being of children, adolescents, and their communities.
Misty Richards, M.D.
Past President
Misty Richards is the Program Director for the UCLA Semel Institute’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship and holds a joint appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor in both the UCLA Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from UCLA, where her interest in perinatal mental health first began, while conducting research studying pregnant mothers with anxiety and depression. For the next four years, Dr. Richards worked as a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, studying the pathophysiology of mood disorders. During this time, she also helped start a medical clinic in Ddegeya Village, Uganda, where she began a partnership between this rural area of Uganda and multiple U.S. universities and organizations. At Albany Medical College in New York, Dr. Richards obtained an M.S. in Neuroscience along with her medical degree and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study medicine in Japan. Dr. Richards then completed her General Psychiatry Residency and Child Fellowship at the UCLA Semel Institute. Since joining faculty at UCLA, Dr. Richards has developed her expertise in the area of perinatal psychiatry and infant mental health, currently serving as the Director of Infant Mental Health of the UCLA Maternal Mental Health Partial Hospitalization Program. Dr. Richards is also the Co-Founder and Medical Director of Perinatal Psychiatry for the Maternal Outpatient Mental health Services (MOMS) Clinic in the Department of OB-GYN. She recently completed the intensive, interdisciplinary 15-month long NAPA Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellowship that focuses on working with children ages 0 to 5 and their families.
Brandon Ito, M.D.
Past President
Dr. Brandon Ito, MD, MPH completed his undergraduate degree in Human Development with minor studies in both Psychology and Healthcare/Social Issues from the University of California, San Diego. He completed his medical training at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, where he served as class president and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. During his medical training, he completed a masters degree in public health at Harvard University with a concentration in family and community health.
Dr. Ito completed his adult psychiatry training at the University of California, San Francisco and completed specialized training in LGBT mental health and the Clinical Scholars global health pathway. Dr. Ito completed his Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at New York University and Bellevue Hospital Center, where he served as Chief Fellow.
He is currently a psychiatrist at the Behavioral Wellness Center at the UCLA School of Medicine, Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental Clinic at the UCLA Medical Center, and Director of the Pediatric Resilience in Development and Expression Program (PRiDE). He is particularly interested in medical education, global mental health, LGBT mental health, and reducing health care disparities in vulnerable populations.
Benjamin Schneider, M.D.
Past President
Dr. Benjamin Schneider is a board certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and a member of the UCLA Child and Adolescent Psychiatry faculty as an Assistant Professor. After completing his undergraduate at Stanford University where he studied Biological Sciences and Philosophy, he went on to medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. There, he gained valuable clinical experience assisting in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry research programs before moving to Los Angeles to complete residency and fellowship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. Currently, Dr. Schneider is the medical director of the UCLA Achievement, Behavior and Cognition (ABC) partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. Additionally, he is an attending psychiatrist in UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental (CAN) Clinic.
Patrick Kelly, M.D.
Past President
Patrick Kelly, M.D. is a Psychiatrist Board Certified in both General and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. A Los Angeles native, Dr. Kelly then pursued most of his education on the East Coast, finally training in Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. After working there for three years as an Attending Psychiatrist and taking over as Program Director for the fellowship, he moved back to Los Angeles. He now directs the Psychiatric Emergency Services for children at Harbor UCLA Medical Center and is a full time faculty member with UCLA. He has an additional private practice, specialized in treating patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Adolescent Mood Disorders, along the lines of his two published books: 'Borderline Personality Disorder: New Reasons for Hope' and 'Adolescent Depression: A Guide for Families.'
Ara Anspikian, M.D.
Past President
Dr. Ara Anspikian is a general, child and addiction psychiatrist who completed his child and adolescent fellowship and addiction fellowship at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience. Dr. Anspikian is currently the Medical Director for Outpatient Youth Services at Loma Linda University Department of Psychiatry’s Behavioral Medical Center. This includes the adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program as well as multiple Intensive Outpatient Programs including dual diagnosis for adolescents, and developing an ADHD and Developmental Disorders track for children. Dr. Anspikian has been involved with the American Psychiatric Association since his second year of residency. He has served in a variety of roles including the Council for Advocacy and Government Relations and the Council for Children and their Families.
William Arroyo, M.D.
Cal-ACAP Delegate
Marcy Borlik, M.D.
Cal-ACAP Delegate