About us
About us
Faculty
Melissa Heatly, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center
Dr. Melissa Heatly is a licensed clinical child psychologist specializing in integrated and interdisciplinary approaches to child mental health. She serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center and is Co-Director of UR-Supporting Our Students, an Expanded School Mental Health Initiative. In this role, she leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive school-based behavioral health services, consultation, and training for educators and school teams across the Greater Rochester region.
Dr. Heatly's work focuses on enhancing access to evidence-based mental health care for youth and families, particularly in underserved communities. Her research interests include evaluating the effectiveness of school-based mental health interventions, exploring the dynamics of parent- and teacher-child relationships, and examining policy issues affecting children's mental health. Clinically, she is dedicated to addressing child and adolescent trauma, disruptive behaviors, developmental psychopathology, social skills development, parenting strategies, and mindfulness practices.
Allison Stiles, PhD is an assistant professor and clinical psychologist in Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness (PBHW) Clinic in the Department of Psychiatry at UR Medicine. Dr. Stiles is a member of the leadership team for the PBHW Expanded School Mental Health Initiatives program, providing consultation and training to increase schools’ capacity to support youth behavioral health. Dr. Stiles’ clinical and research endeavors focus on addressing mental health disparities among underserved youth and families. Her work examines individual- and system-level treatment barriers as well as avenues for improved service access through integrated behavioral health services, cross-sector collaboration between critical youth-serving systems (e.g., primary care and schools), and evidence-based, culturally informed interventions for increasing community capacity to support youth behavioral health.
Laura Perrone, PhD
Laura Perrone, PhD, is a consulting psychologist for the Expanded School Mental Health Initiative through UR Medicine: Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness. Laura is a licensed clinical psychologist who completed her APA accredited program through Stony Brook University in 2022. Laura specializes in working with children, teens, and their families and is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), and SPACE. Laura also delivers QPR gatekeeper trainings and professional development trainings to school and community partners. Laura’s work centers around increasing mental health support and services in settings that families naturally access.
Bri Daniels, LMHC-D
Bri Daniels, LMHC-D is the school-based coordinator and senior staff clinician on the Expanded School Mental Health Initiative through UR Medicine: Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness and current project coordinator for UR-SOS. Bri is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and completed her CACREP accredited program through St. John Fisher College. Bri is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), and Reflective Parenting Program (level 1) with the targeted population of 10-15 year old, disruptive clients. Bri’s case load primarily includes children with disruptive and aggressive behaviors, individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as work with individuals experiencing ADHD symptoms.
Advisory Team
Linda J. Alpert-Gillis, PhD, is currently Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Clinical Nursing at University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and serves as the Director of UR Medicine: Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Outpatient Services and the Laboratory of Innovation in Child Mental Health Care Delivery. Dr. Alpert-Gillis received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Rochester, NY in 1987.
Dr. Scharf completed medical school at the State University of New York at Buffalo and Residency training in Psychiatry and Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Rochester, where he continued as faculty since completing training in 2003. He is currently the Psychiatrist-in-Chief at URMC Golisano Children’s Hospital and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. A career long educator, he also serves as Director of Psychiatry Graduate Medical Education at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He is a founding member of the Rochester Youth Violence Partnership, a hospital based violence intervention program, and the local site leader for Project TEACH: a NY State-wide program to provide education and clinical consultation to primary care doctors as they care for the mental health needs of children and families. Dr. Scharf is dedicated to ensuring access to quality mental health care for all children and adolescents in the Greater Rochester Region.
Dr. Wallace is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, board certified in General Psychiatry as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I have mostly been in clinical practice in many settings including twenty-four years in a private practice, almost twenty years in an urban Community Mental health Center in Rochester and recent years in collaborative settings through Strong General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Rochester.
Consultation to public school and other educational settings has also been a big part of my work including urban, suburban and rural public school settings and Center-based and Day Treatment Programs. I am continuing my own work in educational settings as well as working towards developing a more centralized approach to Mental Health Consultation to all the school districts and program in the region.
Clinical Staff
Rebecca Barrett, LMSW
Rebecca graduated from Nazareth College with her Master of Social Work degree in 2023 and is currently a Licensed Master Social Worker. She has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and international studies from SUNY Potsdam. She enjoys working with adolescents and teens who experience anxiety, trauma, chronic illness or pain, and life transitions. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with friends and family, and being outdoors.
Allison Caumont, LMSW
Allison is an experienced pediatric mental health clinician serving as a school-based provider through the Expanded School Mental Health Initiative, a collaboration with UR Medicine: Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness. She brings a strong clinical background in evidence-based practices, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), and the First Approach Skills Training (FAST) Program.
Allison is also a certified QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) instructor, providing suicide prevention education and training to schools and community organizations. She is committed to supporting students, families, and school staff, and is available for clinical consultation upon request.
Sarah Hanson, LMSW
Sara is a therapist with the Expanded School Mental Health Initiative at Loretta Johnson Middle School, and Brighter Days Pediatric Mental Health Urgent Care through UR Medicine Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness. Sara obtained her master’s in social work from the University at Buffalo and has worked in emergency psychiatric services, as well as providing training on trauma-responsive practice for schools and community organizations. Sara is trained in Motivational Interviewing, Solutions-Based Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS. Outside of her role as a therapist, Sara delivers QPR gatekeeper training to school and community partners.
Katie Lembo, MS, LMHC
Katie Lembo, LMHC is a school-based mental health therapist on the Expanded School Mental Health Initiative through UR Medicine: Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness. Katie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and completed her CACREP accredited program through the University of Rochester Warner School of Education and Human Development in 2022. Katie is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in School (CBITS), SPACE, First Approach Skills Training (FAST) Program and Youth Mental Health First Aid. Katie has a special interest in school avoidance and piloted the first ever SPACE School Avoidance Group in early 2025. Katie works at Twelve Corners Middle School and Brighton High School to provide quality mental health care for students, as well as to provide case consultations with Brighton CSD faculty and staff.
Ashli O’Neill, LMHC, CACREP
Ashli is a school-based staff clinician at Churchville-Chili Central School District through the Expanded School Mental Health Initiative through UR Medicine: Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness. Ashli is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and completed her CACREP accredited program through SUNY Brockport in December 2020. Ashli is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), and QPR (Question Persuade Refer) for suicide prevention to provide trainings to school and community partners. As part of the UR SOS team, Ashli works with children and families in the Churchville-Chili district with varying emotional and behavioral challenges (anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, etc.) and meets with school staff regularly for case consultations.
Bridget Robertson, LCSW
Bridget Robertson, LCSW is a Senior Social Worker, working both as a clinical supervisor and senior staff clinician at our South Avenue outpatient clinic and as part of the Expanded School Mental Health team at Fairport High School. Bridget is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and completed her Social Work master's program through the University at Buffalo. Bridget also completed her social work internship with Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness before being hired on in 2017. Bridget is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), SPACE, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Bridget most enjoys working with adolescents and young adults as well as providing clinical supervision.
Leah Hill, M.ED, CASAC-2
Leah Hill, M.Ed., MSW, CASAC-II is a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor at URMC Strong Recovery’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) program. Her work focuses on providing clinical counseling for the treatment of substance use disorders in adolescents and young adults. In this role, she serves as a consultant for Fairport Central School District to assess students may qualify for and benefit from treatment for substance use. Leah has worked in the field of substance use treatment and care for the past 7 years. As a person in long-term recovery from SUD, she served as a certified recovery peer advocate at Catholic Charities Community Services before transitioning to clinical care at Strong Recovery in 2021. She is passionate about outreach and providing education to community partners, providers, students, parents, families and other stakeholders about substance use disorder prevention, intervention and recovery through a wholistic, strengths-based, trauma-informed lens.
Trainees
Mia Menassa
The predoctoral internship program at URMC provides an integrative, multidisciplinary, family-centered approach to treatment, which aligns with my clinical training and goals. URMC offers the opportunity to develop my diagnostic and intervention skills in both inpatient and outpatient settings, working with children and adolescents. Through clinical and research experiences, I look forward to enhancing my ability to deliver culturally informed, holistic care to children and families.
Collaborators
Dr. Laura Jean Shipley is Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Vice Chair for Population and Behavioral Health at Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She practiced medicine as a primary care pediatrician and Managing Partner of Panorama Pediatric Group in Rochester, NY, prior to joining the department leadership team in January 2019 and has 25 years of experience in overseeing effective primary care approaches, with a particular interest in social-emotional and behavioral health. In addition, she is the Associate Medical Director for Maternal Child Health at Accountable Health Partners (AHP), URMC’s accountable care organization, informing and leading population health strategic approaches for children and families.
As one of the co-founders and leaders of URMC Department of Pediatrics’ Pediatric Links with the Community Program (now the Hoekelman Center for Community Pediatrics), Dr. Shipley is recognized nationally for her leadership and expertise in collaborative community pediatrics and advocacy training. She is currently focused on championing regional efforts to implement pediatric population health initiatives that include upstream prevention and behavioral health integration in both practice and community settings.
Dr. Kaczorowski currently focuses on strengthening the education of young physicians and health professionals involved in the care of children, here in Rochester and throughout the United States, including training in community health and advocacy and leading efforts to improve the health of children in our Greater Rochester community and NY State through equity - focused community health, public policy and systems-level advocacy work.