In addition to the standard curriculum, the Psychiatry Residency offers a dedicated community and public psychiatry track for general psychiatry residents. This immersive, longitudinal program prepares residents to become leaders in the field of community and public psychiatry through community clinical training, community engagement, mentorship, scholarship and advocacy.
Overview
Community and public psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry that focuses on treating individuals with serious, complex behavioral health needs within local, often publicly funded systems. Many of these patients face systemic barriers to care. This field aims to mitigate the impact of social determinants of health and employs a practice of emphasizing individual recovery and community resilience.
Residents accepted into the community psychiatry track will start a three-year pathway beginning in PGY-2, which includes:
- PGY-2: Preferred adult outpatient community psychiatry clinic, additional community psychiatry outpatient clinic, and a community child and adolescent psychiatry clinic
- PGY-3: Core rotations serving community populations such as the state hospital, local mental health authorities and the VA. One additional month of the state hospital experience. Continued community psychiatry outpatient clinic.
- PGY-4: Clinical electives in community psychiatry settings and the potential opportunity to serve as the psychiatry community chief
- Longitudinal didactics on a wide range of community and public psychiatry themes
- Mentorship and professional development opportunities
Current Sites
Veteran Affairs Outpatient Clinic
The primary outpatient site for track participants
Austin State Hospital
Inpatient and forensic exposure
Bluebonnet Trails
Child and adolescent outpatient clinic
CommUnity Care
- Esperanza Community
- David Powell Clinic
- North Central Pediatrics
- Southeast Health and Wellness Center
- Black Men’s Health Clinic
Integral Care
- RA1SE
- St. John’s Clinic
- The Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care
Vivent Health
Outpatient integrated HIV clinic
Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers
Outpatient child and adolescent clinic
Track Leadership
Kristin Escamilla, M.D.
Rishi Sawhney, M.D.
Aaron Snodell, M.D., PGY-4, chief of community psychiatry
Faculty Mentors
John Borkovich, M.D.
Vijay Gorrepati, M.D.
J. Michele LaGrone, M.D.
Patrizia Perazzo, Ph.D.
Application Process
Residents apply to take part in this track halfway through their PGY-1 year to start in the beginning of PGY-2 year.