Shelley Elizabeth Ham, M.D.
P.O. Box 10840
Hilo, HI 96721
Tel: (808) 934-7355
e-mail: drshell@hawaii.rr.com
EDUCATION:
M.D. St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 1993.
B.A. Chemistry, Rutgers University (Cook College), New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1989.
George H. Cook Honors Scholar
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Teaching and Research-Related Experience:
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 2001 – to present.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, July 1997 to February 2001. Responsibilities included: one-to-one clinical teaching and supervision of third year medical students, developing research studies, participation in a collaboration with schools of nursing and social work to develop and improve services for the severely mentally ill on the Big Island.
Chief Resident/ Clinical Instructor Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, July 1996 – June 1997. Responsibilities included: junior attending status on inpatient psychiatric unit, liaison between residents and faculty, administrative duties, research, teaching lower level residents and medical students.
Principal Investigator for clinical research studies: BETA study for Bristol- Myers Squibb 2002-2003; START Study for Janssen 2004
Clinical Experience
Clinical Director The Phoenix Center, Inc., June 1999 to present. Owner, director and staff psychiatrist at a mental health clinic in Hilo that provides individual, couples, family and group therapies, psychiatric evaluations and medication management (including a clozapine group) for a wide range of diagnoses. Therapies include supportive, cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, play/art/dream and insight-oriented modalities. Teaching of medical students and psychology practicum students.
Psychiatrist Pacific Quest, http://www.pacificquest.org, 2011 to present. Staff supervision, evaluations, medication management, liaison with families and other treatment professionals. At Pacific Quest, we create life-changing experiences for struggling, troubled teenagers & troubled young adults through outdoor therapeutic programs that help students learn to make better choices and live healthy, productive lives.
Psychiatrist CareHawaii, December 2002 to April 2007. Staff supervision, evaluations, medication management, psychotherapy, and involvement with the court system as part of an assertive community treatment (ACT) team for the severely mentally ill.
Psychiatrist Children’s Comprehensive Services, February 2000 to March 2003. Provide medication management and psychiatric evaluations for adolescents at a residential facility. Duties include attending treatment planning meetings to assist in directing treatment, providing clinical supervision, and attending program management meetings.
Psychiatrist Helping Hands Hawaii, June 2000 to September 2002. Staff supervision, evaluations, medication management, psychotherapy, and involvement with the court system as part of an assertive community treatment (ACT) team for the severely mentally ill. Covered crisis shelter services initially as well.
Examiner Office of the Public Defender, September 2000 to present. Perform mental examinations and render opinions on diagnosis, capacity, and dangerousness. Testify in court for some cases.
Clinical Director July 1998 to August 2000.East Hawaii Community Mental Health Center, Hawaii. Responsibilities included: helping to develop new models of care on the Big Island, clinical supervision and teaching of case management staff, leading staff and treatment planning meetings, liaison with center chief to help improve quality of care.
Community Psychiatrist July 1997 to August 2000 East Hawaii Community Mental Health Center, Hawaii. Responsibilities included: medication management, evaluations, psychotherapy (group and individual), running a clozapine clinic, crisis outreach into the community, providing consultation to community physicians and care home managers, patient advocacy in court. Clients include severely mentally ill and dually diagnosed consumers.
Consultant Hawaii Behavioral Health, Hilo, HI, 2/98-8/98. Psychiatric and medication evaluations, individual and family psychotherapy for children and adolescents.
Consultant Kalihi Palama Community Mental Health Clinic, Honolulu, Hawaii, April to July 1997. Fee-for-service work doing medication evaluations and some supportive psychotherapy in a community setting.
Psychiatric Case Counselor January 1992 – June 1993, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, St. Charles, Missouri. Responsible for conducting one-to-one and group counseling on an adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit.
Psychiatric Technician, Carrier Foundation, Belle Mead, NJ, 2-12/89. Worked in a private psychiatric hospital as a float to adolescent, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, geriatric, eating disorder, open and acute care adult units. Performed one-to-one and group counseling with patients and participated in treatment planning process.
RESEARCH, LECTURES AND INSERVICES:
“Insight and the Treatment of Psychosis”, Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Queens Medical Center, January 9, 1999.
“Psychiatrists’ Characteristics and Their Effect on Patients’ Medication Noncompliance”, Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Queens Medical Center, June 1997.
For care home operators: “Relapse Prevention” (May 1998), “How to Handle Decompensating Clients” (May 27, 1999), and “Recognizing Movement Disorders” (June 2000).
“The Helping Relationship” seminar monthly for clinical staff of East Hawaii CMHC
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
American Psychiatric Association
Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Board certified (since January 2000)
HONORS:
2002; Outstanding Clinical Professor, University of Hawai‘i, John A. Burns School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry
1997Ginsberg Fellowship, The Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry
1997: Pfizer Resident of the Year Award
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:
Teaching Interests
Psychotherapy “toolbox”
Cross-cultural dynamics
Rural psychiatry
Clinical Interests
Mindfulness meditation techniques in psychotherapy
Group therapy of the severely mentally ill
Special treatment considerations for the dually-diagnosed
REFERENCES:
Iqbal Ahmed, M.D. Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine.
Harold McGuffey, M.D. 169 Puueo St, Hilo HI 96720. (808)934-7355.
The Phoenix Center 