meet our providers

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified, Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional

Shannon was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, then moved to Maryland, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Maryland. She went on to work as an ICU nurse until beginning her graduate studies a few years later.  She graduated with a Master of Science, specializing as an Adult Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist.

​Since then, she has worked in a variety of settings including in-patient psychiatry, psychiatric ER/crisis intervention, consultation services in the general hospital population, nursing homes, assisted living and outpatient psychiatry.

Shannon's experience is broad treating a range of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and psychotic disorders. She sees patients aged 18 and older.
​
​She is currently not accepting new patients.   

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Board Certified

Teri is a graduate of the Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She has a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a post-master’s doctorate from the University of Massachusetts. She has over 20 years of experience ranging from addictions to mental health, research, and education.

Teri has been trained in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and has led DBT groups. Teri received her certificate of Advanced Trauma Treatment, Level One. Teri has extensive experience in the evaluation and treatment of patients with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. She is certified to administer Suboxone and also provides Vivitrol injections.

She is currently not accepting new patients.

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Shannon completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice/Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner degree at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Her prior degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science, both from Johns Hopkins University.

​Shannon has previously worked in inpatient psychiatry and outpatient addiction treatment at Sheppard Pratt. In addition, Shannon worked at the NeuroCare ICU at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Shannon enjoys keeping up with the latest scientific research and has also previously worked in the areas of neuroscience and nursing research.
​
​She is currently accepting new patients ages 16 to 65.

Doctor of Nursing Practice
Board Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Mental Health Specialist 

Jessica Ditto is a pediatric nurse practitioner with a sub certification as a pediatric mental health specialist who loves caring for children and their families with mental health or developmental/behavioral difficulties. She has been a nurse for a total of 26 years, and a nurse practitioner for 18 years. She has spent her entire career as a nurse practitioner working with children and adolescents with developmental, behavioral, and mental health concerns. 

Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, Jessica was a NICU nurse at Franklin Square Hospital. She then began working at Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) in 2002 as a nurse, and received her masters degree in 2005 as a pediatric nurse practitioner from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She continued working at KKI in the NICU Follow-Up Clinic and the Center for Development and Learning as an NP for 14 years. Jessica became board certified as a pediatric mental health specialist in 2012. Finally, in 2022, she earned her doctorate as a Doctor of Nursing Practice, again from the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

Jessica’s career in psychiatry has been a gradual shift from developmental pediatrics. She works with children, adolescents, and young adults from birth to 21 years of age. While now concentrating more on disorders such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns, she continues to love working with children on the autism spectrum and their families, as well as children with other neurological and developmental disorders. Jessica provides diagnostic services as well as medication management and therapy strategies.

Jessica lives in Cockeysville with her husband and son, who is graduating high school, as well as her daughter (when she is home from college). Jessica loves reading, both for fun and professionally, as well as traveling with friends and family. 

​She is currently accepting new patients ages birth to 21.

Doctor of Nursing Practice, ​Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Tarleen earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing this May. Her previous degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

She is concurrently an Assistant Professor in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner—Family specialty with the University of Maryland School of Nursing, where she teaches psychiatric mental health nursing to future baccalaureate-prepared nurses.

Tarleen has also facilitated nursing research with multiple nursing educational institutions. Her clinical experience includes working in the inpatient child psychiatry unit at Children's National Medical Center and spending over five years working with children with autism and their families as an applied behavioral therapist. Tarleen believes in treating her clients holistically to help them achieve optimum levels of wellness.​
​
She is currently accepting new patients ages 14 - 65.

​Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Melissa Boyd is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She has worked as a Registered Nurse for over 25 years prior to transitioning to advanced practice nursing. The majority of her RN career involved providing mental health care in inpatient centers, home settings, and in the emergency room. Melissa has a lifelong passion for providing quality and holistic mental health care. 

She completed her Bachelor’s degree at her local college and obtained her Master’s degree from Walden University in 2020. She completed her Master’s degree with the distinction of Summa cum laude. 
​
She is certified to provide care to all ages and specializes in treating patients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar and other mood disorders. Melissa provides holistic care to include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Melissa has a true passion for listening and providing high quality care to all of her patients. 
When not working, she enjoys traveling with her family. She enjoys being outdoors and exploring nature.

She is currently accepting new patients ages 12 to 65.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified, Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist

Lindsey Burd is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who serves patients across the lifespan, including children, adolescents, and adults. Lindsey has a background working as a psychiatric provider in several settings including inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient care.

Prior to becoming a CRNP, Lindsey worked as a psychiatric RN case manager for children and adults with severe and persistent mental illness and autism spectrum disorders. Lindsey also has experience treating a variety of mental health issues including mood disorders, trauma, substance use, and anxiety disorders.
​
As a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Lindsey strives to be a mental health advocate, working to remove the stigma of psychiatric disorders and believes mental illness is a flaw in chemistry, not character. Lindsey takes the approach of holistic care and believes in empowering patients to help be part of the decision making when it comes to their treatment. In her time off of work, Lindsey enjoys painting, photography, and traveling.

She is currently accepting new patients ages 12 to 65.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Kacie earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Shenandoah University and is board certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner across the lifespan, treating ages six and up.  Her advanced practice nursing experience includes outpatient, inpatient, and long-term care settings. Recently, she has gained experience working with and treating mental health disorders in the geriatric population. She has experience and is prepared to treat most mental health conditions but holds a special interest in mood spectrum disorders.

Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Drexel University and worked at the University of Pennsylvania, level I trauma center, as an emergency room nurse.  She is an eight year veteran of the United States Air Force, where she proudly served her country as a medic and held various supervisory positions.
Kacie believes that treatment is only as good as the diagnosis and works hard to screen for and treat the underlying causes of the patient's symptoms. Her role focuses on medication management.  She feels that patients and their families should be active participants in their care. She also believes in taking an adaptive lifestyle approach, at times, and encourages her patients to participate in non-pharmacological treatment modalities to help improve symptoms. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outside with her family and traveling.

She is currently accepting new patients ages 12 and up.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Wendie Malkinski is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. She has been a nurse for over 28 years. Over her career, she has worked in the fields of Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, NICU, ICU, ER, and Psychiatry. She specialized in ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and PTSD. She earned her Advanced Practice Degree at Walden University. In her free time, Wendie enjoys spending time with her family, listening to classic rock, and going to comedy shows.

She is currently accepting new patient ages 12 and up.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Melissa has been working in the nursing field for the past 10 years and has a variety of experience working in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Drexel University and Master's Degree from Maryville University.
​
With a background working on the Trauma Disorders Unit at Sheppard Pratt, she offers a trauma-informed approach to treatment helping her clients develop specific and realistic goals for overall wellness. She incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) techniques into sessions to help clients work towards their treatment goals.

Melissa is a former clinical instructor at Towson University and the Community College of Baltimore County for the undergraduate nursing program. She is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland, and the Neuroscience Education Institute.

She is currently accepting new patients ages 18 to 65.

Doctor of Nursing Practice, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Huan completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice with a major in mental health at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She also holds a Doctorate in Neuroscience from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas. 

In addition to her abundant clinical experience in mental health care gained in China, Huan has worked in an inpatient psychiatric unit and psychiatric emergency department at MedStar Franklin Square Hospital as a registered nurse for over three years. She follows evidence-based guidelines, incorporating clinical experience, interdisciplinary education, and inter-professional collaboration to provide compassionate, high-quality, and comprehensive mental health services for adults.

She believes that true health can be achieved by addressing physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, environmental, and social aspects.

She is currently accepting new patients ages 16 to 65.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified 

Angenette (Angie) Hayes received her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Walden University and then received her Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Across the Lifespan Certification from ANCC. She has been a nurse for greater than 12 years. Throughout her career as a nurse she has worked in the IMC, Pre-op/PACU, and inpatient psychiatry. As a nurse practitioner, Angie has experience treating individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.  Angie is committed to guiding individuals as they navigate towards mental wellness through mindful pathways. 

Angie is very thorough on assessment hoping to gain as much detail as possible in efforts to formulate an effective treatment plan. She appreciates client involvement and believes in developing therapeutic alliances with clients and families, when allowed. She has a genuine love of helping others and is passionate about empowering individuals to navigate their mental health challenges towards wellness and resilience.

She is now accepting patients ages 12 and up.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, License Certified Addiction Counselor

Cheryl is an intuitive therapist, who has a direct approach when working with patients.  Throughout her career, she has been the clinical director in both inpatient and outpatient settings for young adults with dual diagnoses.  She is well versed in how to create the most effective treatment for those suffering from addiction.  Cheryl is a licensed social worker/supervisor and licensed substance abuse counselor/supervisor.   She has an abundance of experience working with those challenged by substance abuse and those struggling with transitioning from high school or college or other life transitions, such as changing a career, or ending a relationship.
​
Cheryl provides individual, family, and couple therapy and uses cognitive/behavioral or mindful techniques to that help provide a successful outcome.
​
She is currently accepting new patients ages 12 and up. 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Terri received her Master's of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.  She is a licensed clinical social worker who has experience working with young adults and adults suffering from substance abuse.  She has extensive knowledge and experience treating co-occurring disorders.  She is well-trained in how to create effective treatments for those struggling with addiction.  

Terri believes that building a positive therapeutic relationship with her patients is key to success and encourages active participation in treatment and care.  She enjoys being a part of a multi-disciplinary team and advocating for patient needs. In her downtime, she spends her time with her family and 2 dogs.

She is currently accepting new patients ages 18 to 55.