Mission Statement

Training the Present. Shaping the Future.

The mission of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Psychiatry Foundation Continuing Education Program is to advance the knowledge, skills, and impact of mental health professionals and allied health practitioners across the career span. We are committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-based continuing education that reflects the latest developments in clinical research, therapeutic practice, and emerging theories in psychiatry and psychology. As a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, BIDMC’s Department of Psychiatry is nationally recognized for excellence in clinical care, research, and education. Our faculty are actively engaged in a wide range of clinical, academic, and community-based initiatives, with support from NIMH, SAMHSA, PCORI and other leading funding agencies. They provide care for diverse populations throughout the region and contribute to innovations that shape the future of behavioral health. In addition, our department sponsors outstanding training programs—including a world-class psychiatry residency, a clinical psychology internship, and fellowships in neuropsychiatry and neuropsychology—demonstrating our deep commitment to advancing the field through education, mentorship, and workforce development. We offer training in a variety of accessible formats, including live programs (in person, online, and hybrid), as well as a growing selection of asynchronous, on-demand courses. These offerings support clinicians working with children, adolescents, and adults, and are grounded in the values of ethical care, cultural humility, diversity, equity, and social responsibility. Through engaging and relevant educational experiences, we strive to empower practitioners to meet the evolving needs of the individuals, families, and communities they serve.

Meet Our Team

Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian

Lead Instructor

Dr. Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a nationally recognized expert in early psychosis care. She co-founded the CEDAR Clinic in 2009, where she serves as Director of Research and Development, supervising trainees, providing clinical consultations, and delivering individual and family therapy. She has supervised more than 100 clinicians and trainees and finds great fulfillment in mentoring the next generation of mental health professionals.

Joey Rodriguez

Course Operations Director

Joey Rodriguez is a project coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and co‑director for the Spanish Advisory Board for Linguistic Development (SALUD), a bilingual advisory board working across early‑psychosis services for Spanish‑speaking communities. Formerly a program strategist at the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, Joey has organized and developed more than 30 community health workshops and consultations for early psychosis, as well as directed and managed the creation of two online training courses on evidence-based care for early psychosis.

Layia Ussery

Program & Website Production Coordinator

Layia Ussery is a Program & Website Production Coordinator at the Psychiatry Foundation and a Clinical Research Assistant with the Response to Risk group at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She assists in designing continuing education courses, maintaining their online platforms, and supporting advertising efforts to expand program reach. In her research role, she contributes to studies focused on early identification and intervention for youth at risk for psychosis.