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Our four-year residency program provides comprehensive and well-rounded psychiatry training in a variety of clinical settings and a diverse range of patients and psychiatric disorders. Full-time faculty members are assigned to provide supervision and teaching to residents during each rotation. This ensures that residents receive personalized attention and guidance throughout their training.
One Brooklyn Health
Brooklyn, NY
"Welcome! I thank you for your interest in our program. We provide a unique educational experience in multiple, comprehensive psychiatric treatment services within One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Medical Center. During the first and second years of training residents rotate through our inpatient acute psychiatric treatment units, extensive substance use disorder units, consultation/liaison service, psychiatric emergency room, medicine and neurology service. Outpatient rotations take place at three sites, our Center for Mental Health, Bishop Walker Clinic and Behavior Health Program. Together these sites provide a diverse range of patients that span all socioeconomic and ethnic groups. Residents work with skilled faculty members who are dedicated to teaching and training future psychiatrists. We provide a supportive learning environment. We are committed to maintaining a personal, supportive individualized training approach that enhances the strength of each resident.
Our mission is to produce psychiatrists who are erudite, excellent clinicians, compassionate, and genuinely committed to meeting the mental health needs of patients both at home and globally. We have developed a “buddy” whereby each resident is assigned from the outset to a more experienced peer. We encourage close supervisory relationships with faculty. Furthermore, we have an open-door policy for problem-solving with Chief Residents and Faculty.
Once again thank you for your interest in our program. I look forward to meeting you."
Tolu Olupona, M.D., DFAPA
Program Director, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Medical Center
Brooklyn, NY
Interfaith Medical Center – Behavioral Health Services
We provide a supportive and enriching environment in which our clients are encouraged to participate in the development of individualized treatment plans and strengthen their engagement in the treatment process.
Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit
The adult service provides acute treatment and rapid stabilization for adults 18 and older. Psychotherapy ad medication management are combined with group, individual and family therapy in this milieu treatment setting. Our goal is to offer the kind of intensive, compassionate care that will end the revolving door of psychiatric admissions experience by many who suffer from mental illness.
Center for Mental Health
Our outpatient clinic is a full service mental health clinic serving children, adolescents and adults, in individual, group, and family therapy, and with medication management when needed. Psychological testing is also available. CMH is staffed by a multidisciplinary team.
Behavioral Health Program Clinics of Adults
Provides comprehensive mental health treatment of the highest quality for adults and their families in the Bed-Stuy, Bushwick and Williamsburg areas with the support of our multidisciplinary team. The goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate symptoms using a strength-based systems approach.
Bishop Walker Outpatient Clinic
Our outpatient clinic is a full service mental health clinic serving children, adolescents and adults, in individual, group, and family therapy, and with medication management when needed. Psychological testing is also available. Bishop Walker Clinic is staffed by a multidisciplinary team.
Alternative Housing Program
Program is a 44-bed licensed level II supportive apartment treatment program for individuals. There are scattered apartments located in Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights and East New York section of Brooklyn. By providing supportive services, our aim is to improve or maintain and individuals ability to live as independently as possible and eventually access generic housing.
Inpatient Polysubstance Withdrawal (Detox) Unit
Provides first step in the recovery process for adults ages 18 and older, focusing on minimizing the physical stress of acute withdrawal and the emotional issues that trigger addictive behaviors.
Inpatient Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Unit
The unit provides short term residential stay where adults can continue the recovery process in a safe, structured environment. The treatment goal is to achieve and maintain abstinence, through a variety of didactic, cognitive behavioral and creative arts therapy groups.
Chemical Dependency Outpatient Services (CDOS)
CDOS is an outpatient day program for adults to achieve and maintain abstinence from alcohol, chemical abuse, or dependence through groups centered on educating clients about relapse prevention, health issues, and job readiness.
Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP)
MMTP is an outpatient program that provides individualized health care and medically prescribed methadone to help relieve withdrawal symptoms for those challenged by drug addiction. Admission is open to all adults who have been addicted to heroin, methadone, or any other opiates.
As part of Interfaith Medical Center we have the ability to treat our clients comprehensively and holistically. The medical center has certification from Joint Commission, IMG, OASAS and OPWDD. Our Multidisciplinary Team includes: Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Social Workers, Registered Nurses, licensed Creative Arts Therapist/Certified Recreational Therapist, Certified Rehabilitation Counselors, Internist, Nurse Practitioners. We offer a variety of services including: medication management, individual and group therapy, psycho-education, stress management, substance abuse groups, art, dance, drama and music therapy, vocational counseling and case management.
4 blocks of Internal Medicine
2 blocks of Neurology
4 blocks of Inpatient Psychiatry
2 blocks of Emergency Psychiatry
7 blocks of Inpatient Psychiatry
2 blocks of Emergency Psychiatry
2 blocks of Consultation Liaison
1 blocks of Addiction Psychiatry/Detox Unit
12 blocks of Outpatient Rotation
1 blocks of Geriatric Rotation.
2 blocks of Child Psychiatry Rotation
2 blocks of Emergency Room Rotation
2 blocks of Inpatient Psychiatry Rotation
5 blocks of Elective Rotation
To gain experience in evaluating and treating chronically ill patients in a public hospital. To participate in and lead a multidisciplinary treatment team. To gain experience in group leadership in therapy of inpatients, often chronically mentally ill. To perform initial evaluation, history, physical exam and laboratory evaluation, and prepare treatment plans for newly admitted patients.
Residents are encouraged to attend didactics in medicine and neurology while on those rotations. Below are the classes specifically targeted to the PGY1 residents.
Mental Status Exam
Initial Psychiatric Note
Initial Psychiatric Interview
Managing Effective Handoffs
Quality Improvement and patient safety
Emergency Psychiatry
History of Psychiatry
Basic Psychopharmacology
Clinical Skills Verification Exam Introduction and Practice Sessions
Supportive Psychotherapy
Assessment and Management of Suicidal Behavior
Adult Psychopathology
Residents are encouraged to attend didactics in consultation liaison and addiction psychiatry while on those rotations. Below are the classes specifically targeted to the PGY2 residents.
DSM V Disorders
Basic/Clinical Neuroscience
Basic Psychopharmacology
Child Development
Community Care for Severe Mental Illness
Consultation Liaison
Cultural Formulation
Supportive Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy
Introduction Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Seminar
Diagnostic Interviewing
Evidence Based Medicine
Neuroscience of Addiction
Legal Issues & Ethics in Psychiatry
Resource Management
Quality Improvement and patient safety
Ethics in Psychiatry Research
Research
Adult Psychopathology
Residents are encouraged to attend didactics in outpatient psychiatry while on the rotation. Below are the classes specifically targeted to the PGY3 residents.
Assessment and Management of Suicidal Behavior
Clinic Administrative Rounds
Consultation Liaison
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Outpatient Case Conferences
Resource Management
Sexuality/Sexual Dysfunction
Women’s Mental Health
DSM-5 Disorders
Geriatric Psychiatry
Child Psychiatry
Legal Issues & Ethics in Psychiatry
Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
All PGY4 residents complete a Junior Attending rotation on an inpatient or outpatient psychiatry unit during their PGY4 year. During this block, residents learn to lead teams, supervise junior residents and medical students, and manage the administrative aspects of leadership, as well as dispensing treatment with progressively less supervision.
ABPN: Preparing for the Boards and Maintenance of Certification
Curriculum Vitae
Maintenance of Certification
Leadership and Management in Systems of Care
Private Practice
Supervising and Teaching
Resource Management
Family/Couples Therapy
Legal Issues & Ethics in Psychiatry
Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Board Prep
Recognizing & Managing Fatigue/Stress
Professionalism Workshops
Journal Club
Psychiatry Grand Rounds
Morbidity and Mortality Conference
Interdepartmental Case Conference
Dr. Hershberger is the Chair of Psychiatry at One Brooklyn Health, hospital system comprised of Interfaith Medical Center, Brookdale Hospital and Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center.
At One Brooklyn Health, Dr. Hershberger leads a department focused on the behavioral health needs of New Yorkers living in central Brooklyn. One Brooklyn Health’s dedication to the care and treatment of those struggling with mental illness, addiction and poverty are central to Dr. Hershberger’s professional mission.
Prior to joining Brookdale, Dr. Hershberger was the Chair of Psychiatry at Long Island College Hospital. Before that he held several other leadership positions in NYC including the Assistant Commissioner of Correctional Health for the NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, and the Director of Psychiatry for Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center. Dr. Hershberger is board certified forensic psychiatrist with extensive experience in the criminal justice system.
Dr. Hershberger received his forensic psychiatry training at New York University/Bellevue, his psychiatric training at Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital, and he obtained his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Dr. Tolu Olupona is currently the Program Director for the Department of Psychiatry at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to working at Interfaith Medical Center, she was an assistant clinical professor in Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Adolescent Health Center where she provided direct clinical care, teaching and supervision of clinicians. She majored in Biochemistry at the University of California, Davis and graduated with honors.
She received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed training in Adult Psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. She completed training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Columbia and Cornell University New York Presbyterian Hospital. She is board certified in Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry.
She is Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. She was awarded the American Psychiatric Association Assembly Resident-Fellow Mentor Award in 2023. Her areas of special interest include mood disorders and anxiety disorders.
Dr. Patrice A. Fouron is currently the Associate Program Director in Psychiatry at One Brooklyn Health-Interfaith Medical Center campus in Brooklyn, New York. She attended Stony Brook University where she received a BA in French Literature and MA degree in European Languages. She holds a D.O. degree from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Westbury, NY and completed residency training in Adult Psychiatry at Harlem Hospital. She is board certified in adult psychiatry.
Christianah Y. Ogunlesi, MD is the Medical Director of the Center for Mental Health and the Director of Outpatient Psychiatry Services at Interfaith Medical
Center, Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Ogunlesi obtained her Medical Degree from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, and completed her general and child and adolescent psychiatric residencies at Harlem Hospital Center, New York, NY. She also served as the Chief Resident during her Fellowship.
Upon completion of her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training, Dr. Ogunlesi worked at the Marshfield Clinic in Eau Claire, Wisconsin as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. She also had privileges at the Hospital Sisters Health System [HSHS] Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where she treated both children and adults in the medical and psychiatric inpatient units. She became certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology [ABPN] in both general and child and adolescent psychiatry, as well as in Psychopharmacology by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, during this period.
Dr. Ogunlesi subsequently returned to New York and worked with the Office of Mental Health [OMH] as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in the inpatient department of the now merged New York City Children’s Center, Queens Campus [NYCCC-QC] in Bellerose, Queens. She was actively involved in supervision of psychiatry residents and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows from Columbia University, Harlem Hospital Center, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center and St. Luke’s Roosevelt, and served on various committees.
She came to Interfaith Medical Center in 2015 as the Medical Director of the Center for Mental Health and the Director of Outpatient Psychiatric Services. Her areas of interest include teaching of medical students and psychiatric residents, developmental aspects of child and adolescent psychiatry, integrated care and systems of care. Dr. Ogunlesi is Board Certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. She is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Dr. Irina Kogan is a board-certified psychiatrist with a thorough
knowledge of psychopharmacology across the full spectrum of psychiatric disorders. She is expert in the treatment of mood, anxiety, and attentional disorders. In addition, she completed addiction psychiatry training at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center, where she gained expertise in the treatment of co-occurring substance use disorders (substance use that occurs alongside anxiety, depression, and other conditions).
Dr. Jeffery Lawrence is an Outpatient Attending and a Residency Clinical Educator at the Interfaith Center for Mental Health. He attended American University of the Caribbean where he was able to explore healthcare in multiple locations such as England, Miami and NYC. He did his Adult Psychiatry Residency at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY where he was appointed Chief of Inpatient Psychiatry.
During his time in residency, Dr. Lawrence created an "on call" residency guide which is now used as a reference to help residents navigate their psychiatry calls.
Dr. Peterson Rabel is board certified in adult psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. He completed his psychiatry 
residency at One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Medical Center where he was also a chief resident and completed his geriatric psychiatry fellowship at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Dr. Rabel got his medical degree from the Université d’Etat D’Haiti. He is a member of American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry and the Haitian American Psychiatric Association.
He completed his residency training at Mount Sinai Hospital. He has previously worked at Woodhull hospital, Kings County hospital, Kingsborough hospital, Lutheran hospital and Coney Island Hospital.
Dr. Ko graduated from Institute of Medicine in Yangon, Myanmar. She was a resident at North Oakalapa General hospital and worked at Nawaday General Clinica as a house physician. She completed her internal medicine training at Interfaith Medical Center and subsequently joined the internal medicine department. She is board certified. Her hobbies including reading, traveling and meditation.
Before a residency applicant can receive full consideration, all of the following documents must be received through ERAS (https://www.aamc.org/services/eras):
Complete ERAS application
Curriculum Vitae
MSPE(preferred) or Dean’s Letter
Official Medical School Transcripts
Personal Statement
Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
USMLE passed step I, II, and strongly prefer candidates with step III.
Valid ECFMG certificate
All applicants must be registered with NRMP (http://www.nrmp.org/residency/) and all applications must be filled through ERAS according to the deadlines and requirements set by ERAS (positions are not offered outside the NRMP Match).
Applicants must have graduated from Medical School within the last 10 years.
Applicant must provide three (3)letters of recommendation with application (one of which must be from an ABPN Board Certified Psychiatrist) written or updated (by original author) within the last calendar year.
Applicant must receive a passing score on USMLE Level 1 and 2 exams with no more than two attempts on each examination.
It is the applicant’s sole and full responsibility to independently meet all application and licensing requirements and deadlines.
Must prove ECFMG certified (valid indefinitely) by time of the interview.
If accepted into program, we do sponsor J-1 or H1-B visa.
Proof of any experience in the U.S. Medical System.
Many factors are considered in screening for an interview. Below is a list of the factors of significance that should be noted in your Personal Statement and may increase your chance of an interview:
Letters of Reference from ABPN Board Certified Psychiatrist
Scholarly presentation or publication of an article, poster or abstract
Fluency in spoken English is required.
Once your application is received via ERAS, it will go through a screening process. If you are chosen for an interview, you will be contacted via email.
Interviews are by invitation-only
Do not make phone calls to the program inquiring about the status of your application.
Awak Isemin, Executive Assistant
One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Medical Center
Department of Psychiatry
1545 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11213
Phone: 718-613-4340
Fax: 718-613-4973
Email: aisemin@interfaithmedical.org
Selma Billey, Program Coordinator
One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Medical Center
Dept of Psychiatry
1545 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11213
Phone: 718-613-4334
Fax: 718-613-4973
