From Susan’s Desk
September 23, 2021

I celebrated my 6th anniversary at Josselyn this week and it brought back memories of those early, dark days when I first arrived at Josselyn.  The State of Illinois had just entered what was to become an 18-month budget impasse, resulting in one-third of Josselyn’s funding being cut. Half of that was permanently lost with the elimination of the Psychiatric Leadership Grants, which covered the difference between the underfunded Medicaid rates and the true cost to provide this service.  For about twenty years, Josselyn had been existing on a state funding stream that had been drying up a little more each year.

So, one of the first things I did was reach out to my friend and colleague, Louis Kraus, MD, The Woman’s Board Professor of Child Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center.  He shared with me that he had a passion for Josselyn and remembered it fondly when, in earlier times, it was THE place to receive outstanding mental health care. He pledged to help me return Josselyn to that position of eminence. He started volunteering as our Medical Director, along with four other well-respected child psychiatrists in the area, whom we call Josselyn Champions, because they donate their time and expertise to treating low-income children.

I recruited new board and staff members, and together, we all worked hard to save this 70-year-old institution which was founded by pioneering child psychiatrist, Irene Josselyn, MD.  Her vision for community mental health preceded the 1963 Community Mental Health Act by a dozen years.  Not only was our institution founded by a child psychiatrist, but we had become the sole remaining provider for low-income children to receive psychiatric care within a 375 sq. mile area… because Medicaid reimbursement rates had shrunk so dramatically that very few providers in Illinois could afford this care.  We simply had to return Josselyn to its roots as a leading child and adolescent psychiatry center.

So, you will understand why, six years later, I am so very proud to announce the arrival of…not one, but two new full-time child and adolescent psychiatrists, and a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program at Josselyn.  It is my deep and sincere honor to introduce:

Louis J. Kraus, MD, is the professor and chief of child and adolescent psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center. He is the founding director of the Autism Assessment, Research, Treatment and Services Center (AARTS Center). He received his MD in 1987 from Chicago Medical School and completed his residency at Northwestern University and Fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Chicago where he served as the director of child and adolescent forensic psychiatry, the assistant director of inpatient psychiatry and was an assistant professor.

Louis Kraus, MD
Volunteer Medical Director

Meagan Maas, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Meagan Maas, MD, is a board-certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who treats a broad range of conditions including trauma, ADHD, depression, anxiety, mood disorders and LGBTQ+ concerns. Dr. Maas completed her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Rush University Medical Center, and her Psychiatric Residency at Western Michigan University.  She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, a Master of Public Health from Boston University and a BS in Brain, Behavior and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan.

Karamjit Singh, MD, is a board-certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who also completed his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Rush University Medical Center.  Dr. Singh looks forward to treating children, teens and “young” adults at Josselyn (he defines young as under 50; awe, thank you, Dr. Singh!)  He completed his Psychiatric Residency at Louisiana State University and earned his Doctor of Medicine from American University of Antigua and his Bachelor of Science from Auburn University.  His energy and calm and reassuring demeanor have been a welcome addition at Josselyn.

Karamjit Singh, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Elizabeth Harari, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Elizabeth Harari, MD, will supervise a team of child and psychiatric fellows from Rush University Medical Center in their community rotation at Josselyn, starting later this fall.  Dr. Harari is fluent in Spanish, English and conversational in French.

She also completed her Child and Adolescent Fellowship at Rush University Medical Center, and her Psychiatric Residency at University of Connecticut.  She earned her Medical Degree from Medical University of the Americas and undergraduate degree in Biology from Queen’s University in Ontario.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists go through A LOT of training.  After four years of undergraduate work, and four years to earn their medical degree, they do a four more years in psychiatric residency.  Then, because children are not little adults, and their bodies don’t metabolize medicine in the same way as adults, child and adolescent psychiatrists spend another two years training in this subspecialty.

Please join me in thanking the many people who have made this moment possible, Josselyn’s Board of Directors, Josselyn Champions, my amazing staff, and the dedicated and caring Doctors who have joined our staff to provide quality care to the residents of the 100 communities Josselyn serves in northeastern Illinois.  With national polls revealing that 46% of parents reporting that their teen had shown signs of a new or worsening mental health condition since the pandemic began, they arrived just in time.

All the best,

Susan

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