When Cassie Karlsson, M.D., came to Wichita, she “increased the number of child psychiatrists in our community by 20%.”

“So, for those of you thinking about the math, there were five. I made six,” she joked while speaking during the inaugural year celebration of the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at KU School of Medicine-Wichita.

After leading a similar program at Indiana University, Karlsson returned to Kansas in the past few years to help start the new Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at KU School of Medicine-Wichita – the first of its kind in Wichita – which launched in 2023, accredited through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and now boasts five fellows.

In just about a year’s time, the program has “exponentially increased the number of children and families that are receiving care by physicians specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry,” she said.

“That’s a really big deal and a huge success,” Karlsson said, as her speech was met with applause from supporters and community partners.

Those who spoke during the celebration on Aug. 20 all acknowledged the urgent call to service that spurred the program’s launch, as there is a great need to aid Kansas children struggling with mental health diagnoses.

One in five young people in Kansas meets criteria for a mental health diagnosis and more than 35,000 are severely impaired as a result. ¹ Based on demand, Kansas could use more than 400 child and adolescent psychiatrists yet “there are fewer than 70,” mostly in the northeast part of the state, said Rachel Brown, MBBS, MPhil, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at KU School of Medicine-Wichita.

Garold Minns, M.D., dean of KU School of Medicine-Wichita, said “one of our goals is to establish what the great needs are in the state” and then improve upon those needs, acknowledging the lack of child and adolescent psychiatrists “particularly in rural areas.”

Only about 10 child and adolescent psychiatrists are serving central, south central and western Kansas, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website, which cites a “severe shortage” in Sedgwick County and zero child and adolescent psychiatrists in the entire western half of Kansas. Through the KSKidsMAP telehealth network, fellows in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program assist with cases across the state, aiding children in need of mental health care, Brown said.

“Thank you for having the foresight and for having the capability to embark on a path that is desperately needed in this community,” said Ryan Baty, chairman of the Sedgwick County Commission. “I’m here as the chairman of the commission but I’m also here to thank you on a personal level, as a community advocate and also as a dad.”

Sandhya Mainali, M.D., second-year fellow who went to Wichita State University prior to medical school at the University of Iowa, said Karlsson was a big reason she came to the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program in Wichita. In an emotional speech, she praised Karlsson and also the other fellows for their collaboration and dedication to working on challenging cases in the community.

“I’m learning a lot and I’m really thankful,” Mainali said. “Thank you, Dr. Karlsson.”

The increase in access to mental health care through the new fellowship program wouldn’t be possible without the support of the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County and numerous others. Minns and Brown thanked the dedication of faculty, as well as supporters such as the Dwane and Velma Wallace Foundation; the Patterson Family Foundation; Sondra, Everett and Julia Langel of 1440 Ventures Foundation, Inc.; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation; and Jill Docking. Campaign leadership included Docking, Sue Watson and the 4-Wichita Advancement Board chaired by Noreen Carrocci.

Above, left: Nisha Brunson, D.O., first-year fellow; Sandhya Mainali, M.D., second-year fellow; David Matuszewski, M.D., second-year fellow; Cassie Karlsson, M.D.; Brittni Plato, M.D., first-year fellow; Rachel Brown, MBBS, MPhil; and Javanthi Theegala, M.D., second-year fellow.

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1 O’Connell, ME., Boat, T., & Warner, KE. (2009). Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities. National Research Council. Institute of Medicine. Committee on the Prevention of Mental Disorders and Substance Abuse Among Children, Youth and Young Adults: Research Advances and Promising Interventions. Washington (DC): National Academies Press. Retrieved from Summary - Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

Learn more

For more information, visit the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program website.

See more photos from the program's inaugural year celebration by viewing the Flickr photo album.