Hackensack University Medical Center Becomes Site for Multiple Sclerosis Mental Health Mentorship Program
One of three U.S. sites to offer Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers training for health professionals
Hackensack University Medical Center is one of three clinical sites nationwide for the 2023 MS Mental Health Mentorship Program.
The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) program supports additional training that enhances and expands mental health care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The training is designed to help address the shortage of mental health practitioners knowledgeable in neuropsychiatric disorders associated with MS.
The Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center team facilitated the program in October 2023 and includes Elizabeth Kera, Ph.D., director of Psychology and Neuropsychology at Hackensack University Medical Center and assistant professor of Neurology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine; Florian P. Thomas, M.D., chair, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Institute, Hackensack University Medical Center, and professor and founding chair of Neurology and associate dean of faculty at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine; and Krupa Pandey, M.D., director, MS Comprehensive Care Center and director of Clinical Research at Hackensack University Medical Center and associate professor of Neurology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
The mentorship program pairs mental health experts with professionals who are considering a focus on multiple sclerosis mental health care or are one to three years into their MS specialty career. Mentors will share their knowledge and experience with their assigned trainees during the mentorship experience.
Participants include nursing professionals with a mental health background, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and PAs. Throughout the five-day experience, they are matched with a mentor and explore the unique challenges individuals living with MS face, along with the latest mental health screening strategies and best practices for mental health care.
Education topics include recognition of common and unusual presentations and manifestations of mental health disorders in patients with MS, appropriate diagnosis and management, and appreciation of the vital role of mental health providers, including social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and PAs in the mental health of patients with MS.
Learn more about innovative neurological care at Hackensack University Medical Center.
