Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Seema Shah.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dr. Shah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin, and am a product of the K-12 public school system where I had some amazing teachers who supported my growth and academic interests. I attended Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, majoring in cell and molecular biology. At first, I thought I wanted to do scientific research, but I realized I loved interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds, so I decided to pursue medicine. After taking a year to earn a certificate in French pastry, I went to medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There, I worked with children and adolescents who were hospitalized for mental health issues, and they made a profound impression on me. I spent a lot of time with these children, evaluating their behaviors and working with families, and even found myself spending extra time with them during meals and playtime. Despite the fact that many of the kids were exposed to trauma, they – like every child – had so much potential. That’s when I decided to be a child psychiatrist, so I could support these children and their families to help them maximize their potential.
I met my husband in medical school, and we both went to Brown University for our residencies. I completed both my adult psychiatry residency and child psychiatry fellowship at Brown and, in our final year, we had our first child. Becoming a mother helped me further understand the parent’s perspective within my profession.
After five years in Rhode Island, we moved to Philadelphia, where I took a position with a healthcare system and spent the majority of my time in an alternative high school that had a behavioral health clinic embedded within the facility. It was a challenging job because many of the students had limited social support to help deal with their behavioral health and academic needs, but I felt like we were making an impact. It was a privilege to work with such a dedicated team of behavioral health clinicians and teachers. While in Philadelphia, I had my second child.
We moved to Dallas in 2012 and from 2013-2017, I worked for Children’s Health in Dallas in their pediatric outpatient clinics. Within those clinics, I helped start an integrated behavioral health program, where behavioral health clinicians work together with pediatric providers as a team to address behavioral health issues in children and adolescents. I really enjoyed working with both my behavioral health team and pediatric colleagues to support the mental health needs of children. It was here that I realized that having a system of care in which behavioral health professionals work collaboratively with primary care providers was a much more efficient and accessible system. I began to think, “Wouldn’t this be a wonderful model for all children and families to experience?” Many children and families struggle with mental health issues but are hesitant to discuss it due to stigma and/or limited access to resources. Integrated Behavioral Health is one way that can help solve this problem. In 2014, we had our third child in Dallas.
In 2017, I joined the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI), after serving on a panel in Austin talking about the strengths of integrated behavioral health. With a goal of improving mental health care across Texas, MMHPI presented an excellent opportunity to create change, so that children and families could obtain improved access to quality mental health services.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Pursuing a career in medicine is never an easy road. It requires a lot of perseverance and patience, but it is very rewarding to have a positive impact on someone’s life. There are additional obstacles for mothers who pursue medicine, as maintaining a work-life balance is very challenging. We need to do more in this society to support working mothers. I draw a lot of my strength from being both a physician and a mother, and my husband is very supportive. Working as a mom requires multitasking at a level that I never imagined, but it has actually has helped with some aspects of my career. I have learned over time that it is really important to take time for yourself and that it is okay to ask for it.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am currently the Senior Directory of Pediatric Health Policy at MMHPI and am working on a variety of projects, including integrated behavioral health. Approximately one-half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, so it is really important for us to focus on both prevention and early intervention strategies as well as evidence-based treatment for mental illness in children.
MMHPI, which was established in 2014, has a mission is to provide independent, nonpartisan and trusted policy and program guidance to state leadership, mental health professionals and community groups, with a vision of making Texas the national leader in treating people with mental health needs.
I am board-certified in both adult and child and adolescent psychiatry. My clinical experience helps me make the case for policy change and both design and implement programs that are meaningful for families. I work with an amazing team, and we have an opportunity to make an impact on improved access and delivery of mental health care for all Texans.
Who have you been inspired by?
My sister has been a great source of inspiration. Even though she is only five years older than me, I have always looked up to her and she has been a constant source of support and encouragement. I actually followed her footsteps in becoming a child psychiatrist.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.texasstateofmind.org and www.okaytosay.org
Image Credit:
Steven Foxall Photography
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