This month we’d like to introduce you to and highlight one of those providers — Dr. David Pickar, MD, a leader in the biology and treatment of psychiatric disorders. We asked Dr.Pickar about why a partnership-based approach is important to him, what kinds of things he finds helpful, and how our relationship has grown over the years.
Tell us about what you do and how long you have been working in this field?
I practice psychiatry in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and am also an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. For 20 years, I served in the Intramural Research Program (IRP) of the National Institute of Mental Health at the Experimental Therapeutics Branch, dedicated to studying schizophrenia and psychosis. I’ve been practicing in this field for several decades after receiving my medical degree from Yale University in 1973 and completing my residency in psychiatry there in 1977.
What kinds of people do you support through your practice?
I support people with serious, complex mental illnesses.
How did you hear about and meet Help in the Home?
I first met Rayetta in the early years of her career when she was working in a psychiatric residential rehab program. After that, I was excited to learn that she and Stacy created their own unique program at Help in the Home.
What was it about HITH that made you want to work with them?
There are not many people who can provide the type of support needed like they do , and they do it well! Help in the Home has been a great team that do a lot for my patients. Above anything else, they know how to connect on a personal level.
What kinds of things does HITH help your practice with?
HITH provides support in a variety of ways, some of which includes ensuring that clients get to their appointments with me and that they get needed bloodwork done at appropriate times. They also proactively inform us when a client is having a hard time, so we can catch issues before they expand and become a crisis.
How does HITH help you do your job better?
A missing piece of caring for those with severe mental illnesses, in addition to working closely with medical practitioners, is working closely with mental health professionals in their own homes, and simply being with them as they live their daily lives. HITH does this through going with them to appointments, monitoring medications, and being with clients as they participate in everyday activities.
How has the relationship with HITH evolved over time?
We started out sharing one client, and now we work together closely with many. And we expect to keep evolving together so that we’re providing top-notch care to as many people as possible.
Why is it important for treatment providers like yourself to partner with organizations like Help in the Home?
As a doctor, it is so helpful to have mental health professionals supporting my work with clients. I need to know that intelligent eyes are monitoring medications, symptoms, and medical issues, and that I will be given accurate clinical information. I look forward to our continued relationship and friendship for years to come!
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We’ve loved watching our relationship with Dr. Pickar grow over the years — not just because we’re evolving with each other in our own businesses, but because we’re improving and expanding the level of care that each of us is able to offer our shared clients. Through our work together, we’re able to offer a more holistic and well-rounded approach to a person’s mental health care, and our hope is that in turn, it creates happier and healthier clients.