Leadership Team

Telva E. Olivares, MD is an internist–psychiatrist at the University of Rochester and the Associate Chair of Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity in the Department of Psychiatry. Since 1999, Dr.Olivares has overseen the delivery of comprehensive medical care to complex patients in both the inpatient Med-Psych unit (IMIPS) and its sister outpatient primary care practice, MIPS. She is Medical Director of Lazos Fuertes, providing mental healthcare to Rochester's Latinx population through a team of bicultural/bilingual professionals. She has extensive clinical and administrative experience in all aspects of acute services and is currently the Medical Director of Interventional Psychiatry Program, where she has established the very popular Interventional Psychiatry Certificate Course for psychiatric residents.

Chennel Anderson, DICE Director
 

Autumn Gallegos, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and licensed clinical psychologist. Her research explores the effects of mind-body interventions on posttraumatic stress symptoms among survivors of trauma. She is also an experienced Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor and teaches MBSR courses to faculty and staff of URMC. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. Her pre-doctoral and postdoctoral work in the URMC PRIDE (Program of Research and Innovation in Disparities Education) program, and advanced postdoctoral work at the VISN 2 Center of Excellence, focused on the delivery and study of interventions with traumatized populations.

Amanda Lai, BA, is the Department of Psychiatry’s Arts & Communication Specialist. As part of her role, she curates the Bridge Art Gallery, an art space located in the Department of Psychiatry that focuses on diminishing mental health stigma. 

Megan Lytle-Flint, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Lytle's clinical and research expertise is in multiculturalism, with a particular focus on the health and suicide disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) individuals. She received a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Seton Hall University and completed internship training as well as a National Research Service Award (5T32MH020061) in Suicide Prevention Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In addition, she completed a research-based internship with the International Association of Applied Psychology NGO at the United Nations. Dr. Lytle is a licensed psychologist and is a member of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Division 44 (the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues) Youth and Families Committee. I am interested in being involved with DICE since improving Diversity and Inclusion in our department is very near and dear to my heart.

Arielle Sheftall, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry in Rochester, New York. She is also the Director of Academic Affairs for the Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity (DICE) Board for the department. Her research focuses on the developmental mechanisms in early to middle childhood that confer vulnerability to future suicidal behavior. It is her goal to frame targets for early intervention to decrease incidence of a first suicide attempt in at-risk youth. Additionally, Dr. Sheftall is interested in the racial disparities present in suicidal behavior among youth. She is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce that continues to examine risk factors, practice, and policy recommendations necessary to decrease suicidal behaviors in Black youth and is a subject matter expert for the Office of Minority Health focusing on mental health promotion and suicide prevention for Black youth

Traci Terrance, PhD