Our Team

Ann Cornell, Psy.D. - Director

Dr. Ann Cornell completed her undergraduate training in psychology at the University of Rochester prior to her graduate school training in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology/Argosy University. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in primary care psychology through the University of Rochester Medical Center where she served as chief fellow and received extensive training in marriage and family therapy. Dr. Cornell completed an additional postdoctoral fellowship in interdisciplinary geriatrics and has a strong interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. Her areas of interest include behavioral health, cognitive behavioral therapy, and developing approaches to meet the needs of physicians and residents within the University of Rochester system. Over the past several years her work at BHP has been devoted to working with employees in health care systems and to developing innovative ways to meet the needs of this population.

Jeanette Connolly, L.C.S.W.

Jeannette Connolly, L.C.S.W., earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the Greater Rochester Collaborative Program through Brockport and Nazareth. Jeannette has over 10 years of experience working clients of varied race, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic circumstances. . Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, phase-of-life changes, men’s issues and chronic illness. She uses a relaxed and eclectic approach that promotes client comfort while maximizing people’s potential to change. Jeannette is especially skilled at Motivational Interviewing and CBT interventions.

Autumn Gallegos, Ph.D.

Dr. Autumn Gallegos, is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). Dr. Gallegos received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship at URMC. Over the last ten years, her clinical work and research has been dedicated to the delivery of effective interventions, with a specific focus on integrative and complementary health approaches. She is also an experienced mindfulness-based stress reduction instructor.

Sara Hanson, B.S.W.

Sara Hanson is the Care Manager at Behavioral Health Partners. Sara received her Bachelor’s degree in social work from Buffalo State College, and has spent the last ten years working in the medical field in both administrative duties and direct patient care. Sara is certified in Problem Solving Treatment and is experienced in Depression Care Management as well as  general Care Management services.

Debra Hoffman, Ph.D.

Dr. Debra Hoffman is a licensed clinical psychologist. She completed her undergraduate education at Cornell University, graduate degree at the University of Rochester, and postdoctoral training at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She is trained in providing several evidence-based treatments, including Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Dr. Hoffman’s interests include identifying strength-based, effective interventions for depression and anxiety and assisting employees and their family members as they transition to becoming parents.

Jennifer Mooney, L.M.H.C.

Jennifer Mooney, L.M.H.C., completed her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at St. John Fisher College. She is formally trained in Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), and also utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles and techniques. Before following her passion in the mental health field, she previously worked for 15 years as a professional in finance. Some areas of special interest include grief/loss, domestic violence, and working as an ally in the LGBTQ community.

Melissa Nunes-Harwitt, L.M.S.W.

Melissa Nunes-Harwitt, L.M.S.W., completed her undergraduate education at Yale University. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the Greater Rochester Collaborative MSW Program of Nazareth College and The College at Brockport – SUNY, with her training including an internship at the University of Rochester. Ms. Nunes-Harwitt promotes people’s awareness of their reactions in the present moment, reflection on how those have been influenced by past situations, and increased ability to make new choices in keeping with their values. Her clinical approaches include cognitive-behavioral therapy and short-term psychodynamic therapy.

Sarah Willoughby, L.C.S.W.-R.

Sarah Willoughby, L.C.S.W.-R., completed her undergraduate work at The College at Brockport and then obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Roberts Wesleyan College. Ms. Willoughby has worked in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics, residential treatment facilities, and non-profit community based programs. She is certified in providing several evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and has experience treating a variety of mental health conditions including depression and anxiety.

George S. Nasra, M.S., M.D., M.B.A.

Dr. George S. Nasra is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He received his M.D. degree from the American University in Beirut, Lebanon and completed his residency training in psychiatry at the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY. Dr. Nasra has been a practicing psychiatrist since 1994. During that time he has maintained a private practice of psychotherapy and medication management for more than 15 years. Dr. Nasra is Board certified in General Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Psychosomatic Medicine. He is passionate about quality and providing a personalized approach to patient care and treatment.

Megan Maurer, B.A., M.S.N., R.N., P.M.H.N.P.-B.C.

Megan Maurer is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. in Psychology and went on for her nursing degree at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa.  As a nurse, she spent more than 10 years in the critical care and urgent care environments, learning the value of the integration of physical and mental health care. She completed her PMHNP at the University of Rochester, where she hopes to continue serving as a conduit to integrate care for her patients. She strives to deliver a quality, caring experience assessing the individual as a whole – from social, environmental and biological factors – and integrate those components into their treatment plan.

Mariana Ramos, R.N., B.S.N.

Mariana Ramos, R.N., B.S.N., received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo and her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Nazareth College. She has recently transitioned into her position as a nurse with the BHP team after working in acute inpatient psychiatry. Her previous experiences within mental health include working as a behavioral health technician in adult inpatient psychiatry and as a residential counselor working with adults with serious and pervasive mental illnesses to empower them to live independently. She has a strong customer service background and her interests include milieu management, interprofessional collaboration, and providing culturally competent care to our patients.

Rowena Frazier

Rowena Frazier is an Outpatient Access Specialist at BHP. She previously worked as an Office Manager at Rochester Radiology Associates for 4 years prior to coming to the U of R. She has 30+ years of experience as a Payroll Specialist, Accounts Receivable Analyst, and Clinical Process Assistant at Bausch & Lomb. She is an active member with her church for the food pantry and clothes closet. She loves traveling, shopping, and jazz concerts. Rowena is very excited about her new opportunities with BHP.

Vanessa Mace, B.S.

Vanessa Mace is the Practice Manager for Behavioral Health Partners. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Health Care Administration from the State University of New York at Brockport. Previously, she was a supervisor at the Mayo Clinic in the Gastroenterology Department. During her time at the Mayo Clinic she participated in numerous leadership courses. Vanessa joined the BHP group in November of 2016. Her interests include improving patient experience and programs aimed at neutralizing the stigma around mental health issues.

Jean Palo-Gale

Jean Marie Palo-Gale is an Outpatient Access Specialist at BHP. She joined the University of Rochester in the early 90’s as a departmental secretary at the Memorial Art Gallery. She returned in 2015 after working as a receptionist at a law firm. She has customer service experience from her time at Starbucks. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from SUNY Brockport and enjoys working with people.

Taylor Seiffer

Taylor Seiffer is the Employer Based Services Office Supervisor at BHP. Taylor started her time with BHP as an Outpatient Access Specialist and moved in to the Office Supervisor role November 2019. Taylor comes from a strong background in customer service that includes working as a member service representative for the YMCA of Greater Rochester for 4 years.