07/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/09/2025 10:52
Alicia Barnes, DO, MPH, has been named the inaugural Urban Child Institute (UCI) Endowed Chair of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
As the first recipient of the endowed chair, Dr. Barnes will serve as the director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UT Health Science Center. The division, which is affiliated with Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and the Memphis Shelby County Schools system, supports education and training for medical students, residents, and fellows, and provides consultation-liaison and outpatient psychiatric care at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.
Dr. Barnes will develop and lead initiatives in clinical care and research focused on early childhood mental illness and its associated risk factors. These include adverse childhood events, specific traumas, poverty, neighborhood and domestic violence, neglect, and direct and indirect consequences of mental illness.
The new role recognizes Dr. Barnes' deep commitment to advancing the mental health and wellness of young people and their families locally, nationally, and internationally. She formerly served as the associate director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being (CYAW) at UT Health Science Center. The CYAW is celebrating its 10th anniversary of collaborating with community partners to facilitate connections and coordination of community resources for youth and their families facing mental health and trauma-related challenges, particularly youth at risk of entering the justice or child welfare systems.
"I'm honored to lead this dedicated team in advancing mental health and well-being for children and families across the Mid-South," Dr. Barnes said. "This role allows the division to build on a decade of community engagement at the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being. My goal is to innovate and create a collaborative ecosystem that can provide sustainable mental health solutions that support Memphis youth and their families."
Dr. Barnes is also the president of the Tennessee Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and has served on the executive council of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
"My goal is to innovate and create a collaborative ecosystem that can provide sustainable mental health solutions that support Memphis youth and their families."
Dr. Alicia BarnesAltha Stewart, MD, founder and director of the CYAW, the senior associate dean for Community Health Engagement, and director of the Division of Public and Community Psychiatry at UT Health Science Center, said Dr. Barnes' new appointment strengthens efforts to connect the university's child and adolescent psychiatry program with community-based mental health services.
"We are excited to welcome Dr. Alicia Barnes as the inaugural Urban Child Institute Endowed Chair of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry," said Trey Eubanks, MD, president of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. "Her expertise and passion for advancing mental and behavioral health for children and families will significantly strengthen Le Bonheur's mission to provide exceptional, family-centered care."
The Urban Child Institute (UCI), founded in 1995, works with three core organizations (Le Bonheur, the University of Memphis, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center), as well community organizations to improve the lives of infants and children up to age 8.
"I am greatly appreciative of the Urban Child Institute for their support of the Department of Psychiatry's efforts to grow and improve child and adolescent psychiatry," said Robert Cowan, MD, PhD, Harrison Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UT Health Science Center. "There is a great need to grow and expand child and adolescent psychiatry patient care, training, and research in our area. Dr. Barnes brings an exceptional blend of expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry, psychiatric education, and research experience to this position, which aligns very closely with the intent of the endowed chair."