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About Us

Dr. Parnes in Philadelphia

Our History

Philadelphia Mental Health Center (PMHC) was founded by Dr. Edward K. Parnes in 1953 as a not-for-profit organization to provide affordable professional mental health services in Philadelphia.

We have a proud history. Our first Board of Directors included Pearl S. Buck, a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner, along with Dr. Theodor Reik, a famous student of Dr. Sigmund Freud. In 1963, PMHC began the first 24/7 crisis line for emergency mental health services in the United States.

PMHC continues to evolve to meet the needs of its members and the community. In 2007 we launched a Therapeutic After School Autism Program and in 2015 an APA approved Practicum Training program for doctoral students. In 2017 PMHC secured partnership with Jefferson University and became an approved internship site for Occupational Therapy students. In 2018 PMHC was state approved to provide Telehealth services as well as Adult Mobile Mental Health services which extends into Nursing facilities. In 2020 we launched our Integrated Health Program that includes Pediatric Medical Services and a free Saturday health clinic.

Philadelphia Mental Health Center (PMHC)

Our core values are Integrity, Recovery, Inclusivity & Accessibility. We continue to ensure that we are providing a safe, open, and friendly space for people.

PMHC offers a variety of services: psychological and psychiatric testing and evaluations (including a comprehensive autism evaluation), children’s community-based services such as Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS), and individual and group therapies. We also provide psychiatric services and medication management for individuals in any of our other therapeutic services and as a private pay service. Pediatric medical services are available and include services such as wellness visits, sick visits, and health education/counseling. We offer private self-pay family and marriage counseling sessions. In-home adult services are available to individuals physically unable to attend traditional in-clinic services through our Mobile Adult Program.

All of our staff at PMHC are highly qualified professionals at the Masters, Doctoral or MD level, and all are trained to work with children and adults in order to provide specialized care at the highest standards.

We strive for excellence as we compassionately partner with individuals in need.

Team Members

Clinical Professionals

Clients

Years

Message from our CEO

Welcome to the Philadelphia Mental Health Center! From our beginnings in 1953, we have grown from a small private outpatient clinic in Center City Philadelphia to a leading Behavioral Health Facility serving three distinct regional areas: Center City Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County. Our locations provide mental and physical health services in office and through telehealth.

While our compassionate, comprehensive and holistic services for both children and adults encompass many health issues, we also have a specialty in Autism. Along with a menu of traditional therapeutic services, we offer psychological, psychiatric and pediatric assessments, and we also offer a full Comprehensive Autism Evaluation.

Our clinical philosophy is diverse. At PMHC we are enriched by a team of Master’s and Doctoral-level clinicians who are expertly trained in ABA, DIR, Theory of Mind, as well as Cognitive, Behavioral and Psychodynamic Therapies. Our board certified child psychiatrist and CRNP, along with our licensed psychologists and the full clinical Master’s level team collaborate to offer the highest quality services to those in need.

We are pleased to network and collaborate with other institutions. We accept doctoral interns via the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) program, as well as interns from the Jefferson University School of Occupational Therapy and Temple University’s Center for Social Policy & Community Development. We also collaborate with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit.

Our Board of Directors provides oversight and support as PMHC nears 70 years as a leader in the Philadelphia Health community.

Kerey Parnes
Chief Executive Officer
Philadelphia Mental Health Center

Careers

Employment Opportunities

PMHC is looking for fresh new talent to help bring its mission and goals forward. Below, please see what positions we currently have available to apply for.

It is the policy of the Philadelphia Mental Health Center (PMHC) that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, or religion. PMHC is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on account of race, age, color, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, or religion or otherwise as may be prohibited by federal and state law.

PMHC offers a wide range of clinical and research internship experiences. Listed below are some of our College and University partners:

  • Alvernia University
  • Chestnut Hill College
  • Drexel University
  • Fielding Graduate
  • University Goddard
  • College Immaculata University
  • Jefferson University
  • Rosemont College
  • Springfield College
  • Temple University
  • University of Delaware
  • Widener University
  • Wilkes University

 

Behavior Health Technician (Full Time/ Philadelphia Location)

 

Our Leadership Team

Kerey Parnes

Kerey Parnes

Chief Executive Officer

Kerey Parnes is the daughter of Dr. Edward Parnes, founder and first CEO of PMHC. Kerey earned a BA at Vassar College in 1979, and was then trained as a Freudian Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist at the Psychoanalytic Studies Institute in Philadelphia, where she was certified in 1983.

She had a private practice treating adults in Philadelphia and Doylestown for over 10 years. She was later the Outpatient Director, Quality Assurance Manager and then the Assistant Director of PMHC, before taking her position as Chief Executive Officer of PMHC in 1999.

During her tenure as CEO, Kerey has grown and transformed the agency to focus on the needs of children and their families in Philadelphia and surrounding Counties. She also developed PMHC’s specialty in family-focused treatment for children and adults on the Autism Spectrum, in addition to launching mobile Mental Health for the elderly, and most recently a TeleHealth Program.

Kaywana Broomer

Kaywana Broomer

Chief Operating Officer

Kaywana Broomer M.Ed., M.S., NCC. LPC has wide-ranging experience within the behavioral health field. She has worked as a licensed therapist and counselor in both Delaware and PA. She was a certified school counselor (Delaware Department of Education) and certified investigator (PA Department of Public Welfare). Her initial professional experiences began with intensive mental health services within inpatient clinics. She has managed the operations of several clinical and social work departments and programs and served as a Clinical Director. She has experience in decision making based on compliance with policies and regulations. Her experience also includes implementing successful financial controls related to operations and effective integration of multiple systems. She currently serves on the fellowship application review board for the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).

Melissa Allio

Melissa Allio

CRNP Melissa Allio is a certified registered nurse practitioner. She attended Chamberlain College of Nursing to obtain her Masters Degree of Nursing with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner. She has been in the nursing profession for fourteen years, beginning in the inpatient setting. She has worked in a range of settings from medical-surgical to obstetrics and gynecology. She has been practicing in the mental health profession for the past three years. Her practice ranges from ages four to ninety-nine, with all mental health diagnoses. She also has worked with students in the school setting collaborating with intermediate units and IBHS services.

Michael A. Bowman Esq

Michael A. Bowman Esq

Human Resources and Legal Consultant

Michael A. Bowman is the managing principal of Impact Law & Strategy. Prior to forming Impact Law & Strategy, Mr. Bowman was a partner in a large regional litigation firm. Mr. Bowman has developed expertise in the areas of government law and public policy, among others, and has represented various City and municipal agencies, including the Philadelphia Housing Authority, Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, the School District of Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission, and the City Water Department. Mr. Bowman received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Law, where he was an Advanced Opportunity Legal Fellow. While at Wisconsin, Michael also received a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs and Administration from the Lafollette Institute of Public Affairs. Michael received his B.S. in Applied History at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was the commencement speaker of his graduating class.

Jenna Trausi

Jenna Trausi

Quality Assurance Specialist

Jenna Trausi, M.S., has been with PMHC since 2009 when she began as a Master-level Intern. After completing her Master’s program in Counseling Psychology, Jenna continued with PMHC as a Mobile/Outpatient Therapist, later the Assistant Director of Clinical Services, and eventually the Director of Clinical Services. Today, as the Quality Assurance Specialist, Jenna brings her years of experience and passion for quality programs to the Quality Department. Her on-going quality management efforts focus on meeting the multiple planes of compliance standards, completing regulatory internal audit procedures, providing training and development to clinical staff, partnering with individuals and families to provide support and improve outcomes, and working alongside all departments to ensure quality and compliance measures are met.

Elizabeth Lomax

Elizabeth Lomax

Director of Outpatient and Mobile Mental Health

Elizabeth Lomax has over 25 years of experience providing services for both children and adults. She has a master’s in clinical social work from Temple University as well as a master’s degree from Saint Joseph University in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Behavior Analysis. In addition to providing both mental and behavior health services, over the last 10 years Liz has operated outpatient Medication Assisted Treatment programs for adults diagnosed with substance use disorder. Liz also serves as the Director of Communication & Community outreach Services  for the mentoring program B.L.A.C. (Building Leaders Among our Community). Liz has a commitment to build and empower others and help them reach emotional healing. “Serving others is not my job, but it is my life assignment. 

Lamar Bullock

Lamar Bullock

IBHS Assistant Director

Lamar Bullock Sr. has over 5 years of experience at PMHC as an Administrative Coordinator in Behavioral Health Rehabilitative Services (BHRS) and Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS).  In addition, Mr. Bullock has over 20 years of experience in the mental health field in both direct care and management level positions.  In those 20 plus years, Mr. Bullock has worked in other behavioral health programs including the School Therapeutic Services (STS) and Partial Hospitalization programs.  Mr. Bullock’s passion for working with children/adolescents and their families has led him to spend over 7 years as a Non-Violent Crisis Prevention trainer.   He also serves as PMHC’s electronic health record trainer.  Mr. Bullock believes that every child deserves to feel special, and that safety and happiness is not expensive, but priceless!  He implements this philosophy on a daily basis both at home and in his workplace

Jennifer Sadoff

Jennifer Sadoff

IBHS Administrative Coordinator

Jennifer started her career with PMHC/DVCC in 2013. Prior to that, Jennifer was a Preschool Teacher and Daycare Center Director working with children since 1999. Jennifer started at the DVCC site of PMHC as a Service Specialist and worked closely with the clients, families, and insurance providers to ensure the services were approved and received as clinically prescribed. She was then promoted to the IBHS Administrative Coordinator position in 2020. Jennifer maintains the protocols and processes within the IBHS department at DVCC, taking great pride in making sure that all the participants are receiving the quality care they need and deserve

 

Dawneisha Spratley

Dawneisha Spratley

Clinical Consultant

Dawneisha Spratley MS, LBS, LPC, BCPC, ACS has over 16 years of experience within Behavioral Health and Child Welfare Systems in Pennsylvania. She has worked as a clinician, a board certified and approved clinical supervisor, and director within the behavioral health field. She is a Licensed Professional counselor in three states and also a Licensed Behavior Specialist in Pennsylvania and has worked extensively within the private and public schools in Pennsylvania. She has experience in developing programs, offering high quality services and conducting effective clinical and administrative supervision. Her experience also includes implementing successful organizational change that supports growth, creates new innovative workflows, and enhances policies related to state regulations. She currently serves as a member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society, the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association. 

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Get in touch with our Intake Manager.