Melissa Desa, MD

Dr. Melissa Desa is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed her residency in 2011 at the University of Rochester, where she served as chief resident of acute services. She stayed on at the university working in both the emergency room, or Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), and community mental health clinic for Severely Mentally Ill (SMI) patients. She enjoyed supervising both medical students and psychiatry residents in both settings, teaching psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. She's also experienced in treating patients in long-term residential treatment, both in a state hospital for Severely Mentally Ill patients, and as part of a coordinated effort to restore competency for incarcerated individuals with severe mood or psychotic disorders. She most recently worked as part of a collaborative mental health team that worked with incarcerated individuals with mental illness. She enjoys collaborative care, through the lens of the biopsychosocial model, and helping patients tell their story in a safe space.