Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

Clinical Services

Faculty psychiatrists and clinical therapists provide outpatient behavioral health services including the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders and referral to appropriate community resources. 

Services for the general community, including children, adolescents, and adults, are available at the FIU Health Faculty Group Practice on the main university campus. We’re able to promptly schedule appointments to accommodate patient need, as well as offer on-site labs and treatment with long-acting injectable antipsychotics.

To schedule an appointment with one of our psychiatry and behavioral health experts at FIU Health, please call 305-348-3627 to learn more about the treatments we offer and the conditions we commonly treat.

Treatments

• Psychiatric evaluation
• Medication management
• Individual, group and family psychotherapy
• Treatment with clozapine
• Administration of long-acting injectable antipsychotics
• Pharmacogenetic testing
• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
• SPRAVATO® (esketamine)

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Bipolar disorders
• Depression, including treatment-resistant depression
• Dual diagnosis
• Obsessive compulsive disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders

Affiliated hospitals & organizations

• AGAPE Network
• Camillus House & Health
• Citrus Health Network
• Fort Lauderdale Hospital
• Memorial Regional Hospital and Medical Center
• Miami VA Healthcare System
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
• Smith Community Mental Health
• Southern Winds Hospital

Additional Clinical Services

Services for FIU students are available at the FIU Student Health Clinics on the main (MMC) campus. Students, please call 305-348-8385 for appointments and information.

We also provide services for members enrolled in the College of Medicine’s signature community outreach program, the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP.

If you are interested in helping the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine expand access to behavioral health services in pediatric primary care settings, please inquire about our Behavioral Health Integration Contract.

Research

Clinical trial for patients with Alzheimer's disease

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute are collaborating on a clinical trial for patients with Alzheimer's disease. The principal investigators are psychiatrist Dr. Patricia Junquera and neurosurgeon Dr. Michael McDermott.

The study uses low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to disrupt brain changes that lead to the neuron damage that causes memory and cognitive problems in patients. First, the patient is evaluated by Dr. Junquera at FIU Health to determine if their dementia is caused by Alzheimer's and not due to other issues. The evaluation includes a battery of psychological tests and can take several hours. And a caretaker or family member must be present. 

Next, the patient is seen at Baptist Hospital, where Dr. McDermott performs additional medical and imaging tests. If the patient meets the requirements to participate in the study, they will undergo a procedure to attach a stereotactic frame to the scalp under local anesthesia. 

The ultrasound waves are directed to pre-determined areas of the brain using an MRI for guidance. Patients are observed for several hours and are also seen the next day. 

The study involves three treatments, two weeks apart. Patients will repeat imaging and psychological testing after each session and at checkpoints along the way.

Read more about this innovative clinical trial