A Guide to Brief Clinical Interventions in Inpatient and Abbreviated Settings

Elaheh Ashtari, PsyD, joined McGovern Medical School in 2016 as an assistant professor in the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022. She is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist and is the Chief of Psychology Services at UTHealth- Dunn Behavioral Sciences Campus, the largest stand-alone psychiatric inpatient hospital in the country. She oversees the operations of the inpatient psychology service, as well as a team of licensed psychologists. Additionally, she trains staff and promotes service excellence and trauma-informed care in patient services at the hospital, as well as improving clinical practice alignment with the institution’s mission, vision and values. Ashtari earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology at Adler University in Chicago, Illinois, and completed her predoctoral internship at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department – Forensic Unit in Houston, Texas. She completed her forensic postdoctoral fellowship at North Texas State Hospital in Vernon, TX. Ashtari has experience working with adolescents and adults in various abbreviated settings including juvenile detention centers, adult probation, and inpatient hospitals. Her clinical interests include malingering, forensic psychology and assessment, recidivism, dual diagnoses, trauma informed care, and personality disorders. Additionally, Ashtari provides didactic lectures as well as clinical supervision and training to psychiatry residents, psychology predoctoral interns and practicum students.

Dr. Karlie Krause is a licensed clinical psychologist, who works full-time as a pediatric neuropsychologist at Phoenix Children’s. She is also an assistant professor at Barrow Neurological Institute and University of Arizona. Dr. Krause obtained her PsyD in Clinical Psychology on the Neuropsychology track at Midwestern University, Glendale. She completed her doctoral internship at University of Texas Health Sciences Center (UTHealth) in Houston, TX, where she completed a rotation at the Harris County Psychiatric Center (HCPC). At HCPC, Dr. Krause created and implemented abbreviated handouts and worksheets with evidenced-based interventions for the patients admitted. Since her initial implementation, the program has drastically expanded. After her doctoral internship, Dr. Krause completed her post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology at Akron Children’s Hospital. Dr. Krause now specializes in neuropsychological assessment for conducting neuropsychological evaluations for individuals ages 0-21 with complex medical and neurologic histories. She takes a therapeutic assessment approach that incorporates brief behavioral interventions. Her research interest is in quality improvement and increasing patient access.

Jessica Badawi, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is a licensed psychologist with primary clinical interest in the assessment and delivery of evidence-based treatments for adults with severe mental illnesses, specifically schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Badawi provides psychological services to adults at the Dunn Behavioral Sciences Campus. She is also the Director of the Recovery Oriented Treatment Program (ROTP), a 90-day inpatient program for individuals with severe mental illness at UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center. Badawi provides clinical supervision and training to psychology pre-doctoral interns, psychiatry residents, and practicum students rotating with the Dunn Behavioral Sciences Campus. Badawi completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kansas and her pre-doctoral internship at the UTHealth Harris County Psychiatric Center with an emphasis in serious mental illness.