In a previous issue of Ink, our writer and Medical Director, Dr. Kathryn Brogan, described one of the characteristics that sets AWARE’s Psychiatry apart from other psychiatric practices: we are community-based and team-driven. Many agencies utilize psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners as consulting experts, separate from the wrap-around team approach, or maybe as the cherry on top… but not really an integral, everyday part of the team. AWARE Psychiatry doesn’t work that way! Our psychiatry providers are fully integrated into our clinics and communities as actively participating members of our FACT and PACT teams. We work directly with other team members (therapists, case managers, school or home support specialists, etc.) to support our patients’ goals and treatment plans. In today’s article, I’ll introduce you to our team and invite you to partner with us!
The AWARE Psychiatry team is currently comprised of the following members:
Susan DePasquale, MA, MSN, PMHNP-BC
Susan is one of our beloved Helena community psychiatric providers with over a decade of experience as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). Before this, she specialized in neuro-gastroenterology, which often overlaps with mental illness. Here at AWARE, Susan provides psychiatric and medical care for our Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team, which primarily serves patients with more severely impactful mental health challenges. Susan has recently expanded her role within AWARE to serve as a psychiatric provider for our Helena FACT and general outpatient clinic as well. We are delighted to have Susan on our team now and forever! If you haven’t met her yet, please do – ask her about her lovebirds and travel adventures!
Jill Buck, MSN, PMHNP-BC
We couldn’t ask for a better face for our psychiatry team at the SRC than Jill! Jill earned her PMHNP in 2022, and she has experience working in systems of care including criminal justice. Jill also has extensive experience in treating co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse. At AWARE, Jill serves as an integral part of the FACT teams in Anaconda and Butte. Additionally, she is currently helping our FACT team in Billings . She sees patients virtually, in-person, and in many of our group homes. Jill increased to full-time at AWARE in the summer of 2024, and we are so grateful she did. Please introduce yourself to Jill if you haven’t already. She’s kind and easy to talk to – but under that sweet demeanor is a Harley-riding wild woman!
Katy Bugni, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Katy is the glue that holds together our Helena community clinic, and we’re so glad to have her on the team! She earned her DNP and PMHNP in 2021 and has additional experience in women’s mental health and working with the parent-and-child relationship. Here at AWARE, Katy is based in the Helena community office, where she serves on the FACT team and general psychiatry outpatient. She also wins the award for most work-related travel on our team – currently serving the communities in Missoula and Great Falls (and she has served Billings in the past as well). Katy sees adults and kids in all these locations, in-person and virtual, as well as some group homes. Katy is a breath of fresh air, so do yourself a favor and get to know her! She’s raised four boys (the youngest having just left for college), so this woman is down for just about anything!
Kathryn Brogan, MD, Adult/Child/Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr. Brogan is the newest member of the AWARE Psychiatry team, taking over as Medical Director in 2023 when Dr. Tupper retired. It feels really weird writing this in third person, so I’ll stop that now! I’m a medical doctor (MD) specializing in psychiatry across the lifespan – I completed my training in 2021 and worked at Shodair for two years before transitioning to my role here at AWARE. I’m based in Helena, but I mainly serve our Penn Ave. group home kids in Anaconda. Additionally, I support and supervise our nurse practitioners as they work with truly some of the most complex patients in the state of Montana. Much of my role is administrative, where my main goal is to build the best physician-led interdisciplinary psychiatric team in the state and fully integrate our psychiatric services into every other part of AWARE to provide the absolute best psychiatric care to the people who need it most. That’s what makes me get up each morning!
Karyssa Gilleland
While not “officially” allocated to the psychiatric team, Karyssa works very closely with our team as the Helena Office Manager. She streamlines our referral process and helps organize our whole team of administrative assistants in serving our patients. The wheels would fall off without Karyssa in the driver’s seat of the psychiatry team. Karyssa is based in our Helena office, though many of you will know her from her previous role in Missoula. We appreciate Karyssa almost as much as our patients do – they have been raving about having a kind, helpful person around to help in the office. Karyssa also has a knack for creative and classy eye makeup, so maybe ask her for tips on that, too!
In a future article, I will outline exactly how you can partner with psychiatry in caring for any of our AWARE clients. In the meantime, if you haven’t met us, please reach out or drop by to say hi! We don’t bite, and we promise not to psychoanalyze you! There’s one of us in all the main offices, and we’d love to meet you. Reach out to any of us if you have a question about referring a patient to psychiatric services.
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