Patrice K Malone, MD, PhD

Jamie Vela, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Instructor in Psychology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). Dr. Vela completed her undergraduate degree at Brown University followed by a Master's degree in Psychology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Master’s degree in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics. Dr. Vela completed her doctorate at the University of Rhode Island followed by a predoctoral psychology internship at Julia Dyckman’s ANDRUS community health clinic and a postdoctoral fellowship at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell. Dr. Vela has articles published in peer-reviewed journals including Addictive Behaviors and Prevention & Policy. Dr. Vela has received training in a number of evidence-based treatments including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She has extensive clinical training in the treatment of adolescents and adults with anxiety and mood disorders as well as suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors. She is skilled in the treatment of emotional and behavioral issues including depression, anxiety, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and oppositional and defiant behaviors. She has extensive experience working with adolescents, adults, parents, caregivers and schools. She has expertise in implementing effective parent management training, social skills training and positive reinforcement strategies. At CUMC, Dr. Vela provides individual, family and group therapy, using a mindfulness and a skills-based, cognitive-behavioral and dialectical behavioral approach.

ABOUT US I have fought for the rights of people with all types of issues, including autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, dementia, fetal alcoholism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, post partum depression, and intellectual disabilities. I have appeared in state and federal courts from Anchorage, Alaska to Naples, Florida and points in between. I also am frequently invited to speak to other attorneys and judges about representing people with mental disabilities. I have dedicated my life to the firm belief that people with mental disabilities do not belong in the criminal justice system and that they need treatment, not jail or prison.

Jeffrey Zabinski, MD, MSW, is the Director of Interventional Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and an Associate Program Director in the adult psychiatry residency. He specializes in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology for patients with treatment-resistant and medically complex psychiatric illness. Dr. Zabinski helped launch and expand Columbia’s intranasal esketamine and IV ketamine services and previously served as the inaugural liaison to neurology and neurosurgery. His clinical and scholarly interests include neuropsychiatry, medical ethics, and interventional psychiatry. He has also completed formal training in psychedelic psychotherapy, which informs his integrative, patient-centered approach.His academic background includes a BSE in biomedical engineering, an MA in bioethics, and an MSW in clinical social work. He completed his residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital—where he served as Chief Resident—followed by a fellowship in consultation-liaison psychiatry at NYU before joining the Columbia faculty.