Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from UNC Psychiatry, Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC.
The UNC Department of Psychiatry is committed to excellence in our missions of clinical service, teaching, and research, and we are national leaders in each of these domains.
04/27/2026
Get to know us!
Angela Ruggiero, Clinical Social Worker Associate/ Clinical Instructor
I currently work primarily with young adults in the inpatient setting. The most meaningful part of my job to me is working with patients to have a better understanding of what they are experiencing, as most of them are having a mental health crisis for the first time. I aim to provide patients and their loved ones education and support during a time that can feel scary and overwhelming. My hope is that in providing them with the tools and knowledge of resources, that patients are more successful in their long-term recovery and can continue to live out their personal goals.
04/24/2026
UNC Youth Behavioral Health Hospital (YBH) is a 54-bed, 24-hour, locked psychiatric facility located in Butner, North Carolina. YBH philosophy is grounded in a milieu-based, trauma-informed and therapeutic setting. This facility aims to serve patients with a complex history, including aggression and psychosis. https://www.med.unc.edu/psych/specialty-care/youthbehavioralhealth/
04/24/2026
Part of our virtual care services, IMPACTT-NC (Improving Adolescent and Child health Through Telepsychiatry in NC) provides short term therapy and psychiatric medication management virtually in certain school and community sites throughout North Carolina. The care team is made up of therapists and child and adolescent psychiatrists. Children and adolescents conveniently connect to telehealth sessions from school or community sites while their caregivers can join from the same location (at some sites) or join remotely via phone or internet-connected devices.
Our team can treat a variety of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, behavior or mood changes, attention and concentration challenges, sleep problems, school avoidance, and academic decline.
Know a child who’s getting ready for end-of-year tests? Some stress before these big exams is normal, but too much anxiety can affect their ability to do their best. Child psychologist, Jessica Janos, PhD has tips for helping a child who’s preparing for a test.
Tests don’t have to make your child feel ill or struggle to function.
04/22/2026
A cancer diagnosis can turn a patient’s life upside down, physically and mentally, which is why support for mental and emotional health needs is critical.
“When we integrate evidence-based mental health support alongside oncology, patients feel better, function better and often do better with treatment. Behavioral health is a core part of comprehensive and collaborative cancer care,” said Dr. Kyle Lavin.
Psychiatrist Dr. Kyle Lavin explains the treatment benefits when oncologists team up with mental health care professionals.
04/22/2026
We’re proud to share a major milestone for UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health Farm at Penny Lane: all tiny homes in the village are now fully occupied, and the community house is officially complete and certified for occupancy. 🎉🏡
This achievement reflects ten years of unwavering commitment from an extraordinary network of stakeholders. From funders and partners to construction teams, program staff, advocates, and community supporters — your dedication has helped transform a bold vision into a living, thriving community.
Thank you for believing in this work and for investing your time, expertise, and heart. The new community house will serve as a vital hub for connection, support, and shared purpose, and stands as a testament to what collaboration can accomplish.
NC Central University nursing students spent the day today at the farm at Penny lane and learned about social determinants of health and its impact on overall health of people served by the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health
The UNC Farm at Penny Lane, located on 40 acres in northern Chatham County, uses a holistic and sustainable approach to enhance the quality of life of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness by offering opportunities to become healthier and more self-sufficient.
04/17/2026
04/16/2026
The The Foundation of Hope funds groundbreaking mental illness research projects that explore the biological, neurological and genetic bases of mental illness and forge paths to improved diagnosis and treatment. The Foundation of Hope is and has been an amazing partner to our department for years and we're so grateful for their support of our research!
04/13/2026
Get to know us!
"I get to live my meaning of helping others get unstuck and find their meaning. Even the toughest days entail worthwhile and life-affirming connection with other human beings."- Jonny Gerkin, MD, Division of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
What part of your current work feels most meaningful to you right now? Teaching and providing trauma-informed care adapted across medical, psychiatric and intrapersonal contexts.
04/08/2026
Dr. Austin Hall explains why the use of AI for therapy is not beneficial, although convenient. He explains, "There is a huge demand for therapy and a limited supply of therapists, and AI tools have the advantages of being inexpensive and available 24/7. Right now, there is a lack of research evidence of the benefits of using AI tools instead of a human therapists. That may change in the future, but right now, there’s clearer evidence of the potential harms.”
Some advice may be helpful, but there are known harms.
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The UNC Department of Psychiatry is committed to excellence in our missions: clinical service, teaching, and research, and we are national leaders in each of these domains. We strive to embrace diversity, equity and inclusive excellence through our actions, our policies and our culture. Whether you are looking for information about patient care, education and training, clinical and neuroscience research, or our community-based efforts, I welcome your interest in our exceptional department.
Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry
Patient Services
Our providers deliver expert, compassionate clinical care to all of our patients – from the youngest children to the oldest adults, spanning the ethnic, socioeconomic and educational spectrum. Multiple inpatient units and outpatient clinics at a variety of locations throughout the Triangle offer comprehensive care and specialized treatment options for all psychiatric disorders. Our multidisciplinary teams actively collaborate and consult with other departments within the UNC School of Medicine and physicians, patients, and families throughout North Carolina and the Southeast.
Education
Psychiatry is a challenging yet rewarding discipline, and our residency and fellowship training programs continually expand and adapt to meet a host of changing needs. We provide a clinical training experience that effectively integrates psychiatric theory and practice with knowledge of psychodynamic principles, neurobiology, and pharmacology. We ensure that each trainee is extensively versed in a variety of behavioral, cognitive, and social approaches and treatment options, and in understanding the scientific and research methods that underpin our specialty. Our comprehensive training programs are among the most respected in the country, and graduates of our programs are competent physicians appropriately grounded in the understanding and treatment of psychiatric illnesses that go on to assume positions of leadership in academia (including several current Chairs of major departments of psychiatry), public service, private practice, and other areas of the private sector.
Research
UNC Psychiatry researchers stand at the forefront of cutting-edge translational psychiatric research, exploring the underlying mechanisms of human behavior and mental illness to inform new treatments and improve clinical practices. The depth and range of our clinical research programs enables us to offer many patients access to specialized care and state-of-the-art treatments that not only can improve their lives but also contribute to the betterment of the mental health of generations to come.
Provider Wellness
Medicine is facing an era of rapid and continuous change in nearly every way: payment models, technology, standards for clinical practice, and consumer driven healthcare. To prevent burnout syndrome and assist providers who are navigating this incredibly stressful environment, UNC has adopted the Quadruple Aim: a focus on enhancing patient experience, improving population health, reducing costs, and improving provider work life. Our Department’s innovative, supportive wellness programs offer novel approaches that integrate wellness as a critical metric to combat provider burnout throughout the institution.
