Published July 10, 2025
With more than 50 million Americans experiencing some form of mental illness, the issue demands attention, and L+M Hospital and Northeast Medical Group put the topic in the spotlight recently with a seminar for caregivers and community groups.
The two-day event at L+M provided continuing education credits for caregivers who attended a variety of specialized lectures. Healthcare workers also had the chance to network and share ideas with community health activists.
Experts from across Yale New Haven Health spoke on topics that included: anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, cognitive behavior therapy, suicide prevention and ways to achieve better sleep.
Shanthi Mogali, MD, chair of Psychiatry at L+M and Westerly hospitals and assistant professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine (YSM), led the seminar. She noted the steady increase in mental and behavioral health needs since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As our national mental health crisis has emerged, we’ve seen caregivers seeking more answers,” Dr. Mogali said. “We have such talented providers who are well educated in their fields, and yet everyone seems to feel that there are areas where they want to get better – to get a little more information on how best to handle certain types of mental illness.”
Dandie Gallaher, LCSW, clinical supervisor for Outpatient Behavioral Health, including nine sites in the L+M/Westerly hospital region, said organizers would like to hold the seminar annually.
“This brings us face to face so we can really get into deeper discussions on strategies and collaborations,” Gallaher said. “Mental health spans all ages, all social-economic factors. It’s big things, but small things, too, and we have to address it all.”
Gallaher noted that while psychosis or substance abuse are major issues, smaller issues can lead many people into dangerous waters, whether it’s a child with a difficult transition to middle school or puberty, a divorce, a financial or job crisis; all these things can cause depression and anxiety. Multiple stressors occurring at the same time can create difficulties for individuals and families, Gallaher said.
“At this seminar, we saw a lot of interest and support from other disciplines,” Gallaher said. “Representatives from pain management, endocrinology, cardiology and many others participated – and all of these things are linked to mental health, and mental health is linked to them. So, it’s really important for us all to get together, train together, and work together so we can appropriately support each patient’s individual needs.”
Joining community representatives as seminar speakers were YNHHS experts Peter Morgan, MD, PhD, chair of Psychiatry, Bridgeport Hospital, and professor of Psychiatry, YSM; Amir Garakani, MD, chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Greenwich Hospital, and associate professor of Psychiatry, YSM; Brian Zaboski, PhD, YNHHS, and assistant professor of Psychiatry, YSM; Robert Harrison, MD, suicide prevention coordinator, YNHHS; Chelsea Mendonca, MD, unit chief, Adult Inpatient Psychiatry, L+M, and clinical instructor, Psychiatry, YSM; and David Klemanski, PsyD, Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, and associate professor of Psychiatry, YSM.
