Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists

Child and adolescent psychiatrists are physicians with advanced training who work with children and adolescents.  They are able to prescribe medications and have expertise in child and adolescent psychiatric disorders as well as understanding the ways in which physical disorders can affect behavior.  They prescribe medication only when it seems the most appropriate course, and typically prescribe it only as one part of a larger plan to help your child.  Often, medication is prescribed in conjunction with therapy or specialized tutoring. Children’s Health Council psychiatrists help with evaluations; consult with kids and parents about treatment options; provide medication management and offer individual therapy and parent counseling as needed.  

Areas of expertise include:  autism spectrum disorders, disruptive disorders that cause problems with attention, impulsiveness and atypically high physical activity, as well as internalizing disorders that can result in anxiety, depression, obsessive behaviors and problems with reality testing.

Anne Leland Benham, MD
Psychiatrist

  • Anne Leland Benham, MD

    Anne Benham is an expert on the assessment and treatment of emotional and behavioral difficulties in young children. She works closely with parents, families and clinicians of other specialties in this process.  She has special expertise with children with anxiety and fears, separation and loss of parents, medical conditions affecting child or family, attachment, adoption, trauma and PTSD. 

    She has been instrumental in the development of play therapy techniques for toddlers and preschoolers with their primary caregivers.  Dr. Benham also specializes in the assessment and treatment of complex feeding disorders in young children and elimination problems. She has contributed nationally to the Practice parameters for assessment of young children, to textbooks on both infants and preschoolers, and is a regular presenter for techniques of intervention with young children at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 

    Her first love is playing with children.

    Education and Degrees

    • BA, Radcliffe College, Harvard University
    • MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

    Licenses - Board Certifications

    • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology - Board Certification in Adult Psychiatry
    • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology - Board Certification in Child Psychiatry
    • California State Medical License

    Professional Affiliations

    • Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
    • Fellow, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
      - Member, Committee on Infancy
      - Member, Committee on Psychotherapy
      - Member, Program Committee
    • Member, Task Force for Development of Practice Parameters: Assessment of Infants and Toddlers
    • Member, Northern California Regional Organization for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
    • Reviewer, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Infant Mental Health Journal

    Awards

    • Teacher of the Year Award in Child Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1996.

    Recent Presentations

    • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) yearly presentation on topics including play therapy, the infant-toddler mental status exam and its use, attachment disorders and the treatment of trauma in young children
    • Stanford University Child Psychiatry Resident yearly training on topics including play therapy, the infant- toddler mental status exam and its use, attachment disorders, and the treatment of trauma in young children, as well as an 8-week course on young child development

    Recent Publications

    • Benham, A.L. and Slotnick, C.F. (2006). Play Therapy: Integrating Clinical and Developmental Perspectives. In J. Luby (Ed.). Handbook of Preschool Mental Health: Development, Disorders and Treatment. The Guilford Press, New York, London.

Glen R. Elliott, PhD, MD
Chief Psychiatrist & Medical Director

  • Glen R. Elliott, PhD, MD

    Dr. Elliott diagnoses and treats severe psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. An internationally known expert in psychoactive medications, he is the author of Medicating Young Minds: How to Know if Psychiatric Drugs Will Help or Hurt Your Child.

    Before joining Children's Health Council , Dr. Elliott was Director of the Children's Center at Langley Porter, University of California, San Francisco, for over 17 years.

    Education and Degrees

    • BS, Michigan State University (Chemistry)
    • PhD, Stanford School of Medicine (Neuro- and Biobehavioral Sciences)
    • MD, Stanford School of Medicine 
    • Psychiatry Intern, Stanford School of Medicine                                            
    • Visiting Fellow, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences
    • Macy Fellow, Harvard University, Health Policy
    • MacArthur Fellow, Harvard University, Mental Health Research
    • General Psychiatry Resident, McLean Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine
    • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident, Stanford School of Medicine

    Licenses - Board Certifications

    • California Medical License
    • Certified, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Psychiatry)
    • Certified, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

    Professional Affiliations

    • UCSF faculty, currently Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
    • Stanford School of Medicine, Clinical Professor (Affiliated) Psychiatry

    Awards

    • Listed in Best Doctors of America
    • Recognition for service from The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
    • Teaching Award from Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Stanford
    • Teaching Award, from General Psychiatry Residents at University of California San Francisco (UCSF)
    • UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Community Service

    Recent Presentations

    • Presentations on topics related to medication use for behavioral and psychiatric problems in child and adolescents as well as autism, bipolar disorder, and ADHD

    Recent Publications

    • Elliott, G.R., with Kelly, K.  Medicating Young Minds:  How to Know If Psychiatric Drugs Will Help or Hurt Your Child. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, (2006).

Katherine DeVaul, MD
Psychiatrist

  • Katherine DeVaul, MD

    Dr. DeVaul specializes in working with adolescents facing behavior challenges, ADHD, anxiety, depression and eating disorders.  Experienced engaging the whole family to support teens, Dr. DeVaul has successfully helped adolescents improve family relations and learn coping strategies to overcome their challenges.

    Education and Degrees

    • BA, University of Texas, Austin
    • MD, University of Texas Health Science Center

    Licenses - Board Certifications

    • American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology – Adult Psychiatry
    • California State Medical License

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

    Awards

    • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Conference Travel Grant Recipient, 2006
    • CHC Employee Excellence Award, 2008
    • Helen and William Guynn Award for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 2002
    • University of North Carolina William Hollister Community Service Award, 2005

    Recent Publications

    • “Antidepressants and the FDA black box warning.” Presentation given to physicians at the Community Hospital of Los Gatos, 2008.

Mina Hah, MD
Psychiatrist

  • Mina Hah, MD

    Dr. Hah has expertise in treating children and adolescents with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, developmental problems, autism and Asperger's disorders, ADHD, OCD and selective mutism. She is trained to conduct interpersonal therapy and cognitive behavioral therapies for both depression, bipolar disorder and for OCD. Dr. Hah provided psychiatric services at Stanford University as a child and adolescent fellow and conducted genetic research on both bipolar disorders and high functioning autistic disorders. Prior to joining Children's Health Council, Dr. Hah worked as the attending psychiatrist leading a team of psychologists, residents, medical students, nurses and pharmacists on the inpatient unit at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration and provided psychiatric crisis evaluation and treatment for veterans including the young veterans from the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

    Education and Degrees

    • MIRECC Advanced Fellowship Program in Psychiatry and Psychology, Stanford University and Veteran's Administration, Palo Alto, CA
    • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship and NIH T-32 Research Fellowship, Stanford University
    • Psychiatry Resident, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
    • MD, Ohio State University College of Medicine
    • BA, Columbia University

    Licenses - Board Certifications

    • Board Certification in General Psychiatry
    • Board Certification in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
    • Medical Board of California Licensed Physician
    • Drug Enforcement Agency License

    Awards

    • First Annual Career Development Institute for Bipolar Disorder by National Institutes of Mental Health, 2005
    • APA Tenth Annual Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators, 2005
    • National Institute of Health Loan Repayment Program Awarded, 2005
    • AACAP Outstanding Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident Award, 2004
    • Samuel J. Roessler Memorial Research Scholarship, 1997
    • Health Research Training Program Scholarship, New York City Department of Health, 1996
    • Volunteer of the Year, Ohio State University Hospital, 1992

    Recent Publications

    • "Can Prenatal Factors Cause Autism Spectrum Conditions?" Hah, M. In Bolte and Hallmayer (Eds.) Autism Spectrum Conditions. Hogrefe Publishing, 2010; pp. 100-103
    • "Stress, Resilience, and the Aging Brain," R. O'’Hara, S.A. Beaudreau, M. Hah, A. Luzon, J.T. Hubbard, and B. Sommer. In CA Depp and DP Jeste (Eds.) Successful Cognitive and Emotional Aging. Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., 2010; pp. 173-196
    • "Twins with KBG Syndrome and Autism," M. Hah, L.J. Lotspeich, J.M. Phillips, A.D. Torres, S.C. Cleveland, and J.F. Hallmayer. J Autism Dev Disord, 2009
    • "Tamoxifen and Mania; a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial," M. Hah and J.F. Hallmayer. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2008; 10:3: 199-201
    • "Protein Kinase C Inhibition; a Target for Treatment of Mania." M. Hah and J.F. Hallmayer. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2008; 10:3: 199-201

Naomi Leslie, MD
Child Psychiatry Fellow

  • Naomi Leslie, MD

    Dr. Leslie has worked with children experiencing a wide variety of diagnoses, including autism, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse.  She is currently completing the final year of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Stanford University.  During the course of her fellowship, Dr. Leslie has worked at:

     

    •    Lucile Packard Children's Hospital on a medical eating disorders unit
    •    Kaiser Permanente, Department of Psychiatry, Intensive Outpatient Program
    •    Stanford School of Medicine, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinics

    She has experience conducting play therapy with young children, individual, group and family therapy with teens and medication management.  

    Education and Degrees

    MD, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

    Adult Psychiatry Residency, University of California, San Francisco

    Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency, Stanford University

    Licenses - Board Certifications

    CA Medical Licence: A104947
    Board Eligible Adult Psychiatry (June 2011)
    Anticipate Board Eligibility in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as of June 2012

    Professional Affiliations

    American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Ranvinder Rai, MD
Child Psychiatry Fellow

  • Ranvinder Rai, MD

    Dr. Rai has worked with children and adolescents facing anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, developmental disorders and eating disorders.  In addition, she has training in conducting play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. She is currently completing the final year of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Stanford University. In her leisure time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors on hiking trails, golfing or taking a nature walk with friends and family.

    Education and Degrees

    • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, Stanford University (expected date of Graduation: June 2012)
    • General Psychiatry Resident, Harvard Southshore Psychiatry Residency Training Program
    • MD,  Ross University School of Medicine
    • BS,  University of British Columbia, Canada

    Licenses - Board Certifications

    • Medical Board of California Licensed Physician
    • Drug Enforcement Agency License
    • Board Eligible in General Psychiatry

    Professional Affiliations

    • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
    • Northern California Regional Organization of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

    Languages

    English, Punjabi

    Awards

    • Ross University – Dean’s List, 2007
    • Harvard Southshore Psychiatry Residency- First Prize for PGY-1 year-end review paper, 2008

    Recent Presentations

    • ‘Early Parental Loss and Vulnerability to Adulthood Depression.’ Poster Presentation given at Harvard Mysell Research Day, 2009