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Jason Williams has been named the new chief of the UAMS Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Arkansas Children’s Senior Vice President and Chief Mental and Behavioral Health Officer.
, LITTLE ROCK – Following a national search, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Arkansas Children’s have named Jason Williams, Psy.D., MSEd. To lead their work together to improve pediatric mental and behavioral health across the state.
Williams will serve as the new chief of UAMS’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and as Arkansas Children’s Senior Vice President and Chief Mental and Behavioral Health Officer, a newly created position.
Williams comes from Children’s Hospital Colorado, where he served as an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of operations at the Pediatric Mental Health Institute.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Williams has joined our executive leadership team in the Department of Psychiatry at UAMS, and she will serve as the first Chief Mental and Behavioral Health Officer at Arkansas Children’s,” said Laura Dunn, MD, chair . Director of the Department of Psychiatry and UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute. “Her extensive experience in children’s behavioral health, combined with her drive for excellence, will further the overarching mission of enhancing the behavioral health of Arkansas’ youth.”
With more than 20 years of experience in the mental health field, Williams is well known for her leadership at the local, regional and national levels. He currently serves as the chair of the Commission on Accreditation for the American Psychological Association.
“Children are facing a mental health crisis in Arkansas and across the country. With Dr. Williams’ leadership, we will develop innovative ways to help them where they live, learn and play,” said Arkansas Children’s Executive said Rick Barr, MD, MBA, vice president and chief clinical and academic officer. “Along with our partners across the state, he will help us build a healthier tomorrow where mental health care is prioritized so that all children have unlimited opportunities to reach their potential.”
Williams received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles. He completed an internship and postdoctoral training program at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles and worked at that institution for 12 years prior to his tenure in Colorado.
He has previously served as President of the Colorado Psychological Association, President of the Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Internship Center (APPIC), and President of the Council of Presidents of Training Councils (CCTC).
About Arkansas Children — Arkansas Children’s is the only health care system in the state dedicated entirely to the care of Arkansas’ more than 700,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery coalition, statewide clinics and numerous education and outreach programs – all with the promise of defining and delivering unprecedented focused on completing. Child Health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital is ranked nationally by US News & World Report in seven pediatric specialties (2022-2023): Cancer, Cardiology and Heart Surgery, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Pulmonology and Urology. The Arkansas Children’s Research Institute provides an onsite research environment for faculty and scientists of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences working on the Arkansas Children’s Hospital campus. To learn more, visit arcchilds.org.
UAMS is the only health sciences university in the state with colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health professions, and public health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute, Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health and Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that includes all of UAMS’ clinical enterprises. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,240 students, 913 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who care for patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitteryoutube or instagram.
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