The Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Training Program (MHTP) is excited to spotlight pediatric postdoctoral resident Rana Tanios, Psy.D. (she/her) this month! Dr. Tanios was nominated by Training Director Margot Green, Ph.D., who describes her as a “brilliant and thoughtful colleague.”
Dr. Tanios graduated from George Fox University in 2022 and is completing her postdoctoral residency in the pediatrics clinic at KP Walnut Creek through the Maternal Infant Resilience (MIR) program. In this role, Dr. Tanios provides short consultation-based services for children and young adults ages 0-22. She receives referrals from pediatricians and other pediatric providers for mild to moderate mental health symptoms as well as behavioral and medical concerns, including anxiety, depression, adjusting to a new medical diagnosis, toileting concerns, headaches, and more. She sees new and return cases and provides consultation, support, and bridge work with the goal of preventing the need to escalate patients’ care to the psychiatry department. When patients are referred to psychiatry, she can serve as a case manager to help bridge care. Dr. Tanios additionally provides warm handoffs, which offer same day visits and consults for patients who may have endorsed health psychology concerns during their primary care appointment. The goals of these services are to provide early intervention and preventative care. Dr. Tanios is passionate about integrative care and appreciates working with a multidisciplinary team to offer services to a diverse patient population.
Working in primary care allows Dr. Tanios to provide valuable mental health services to patients who might not voluntarily seek it, and this is one of the aspects of her job that Dr. Tanios appreciates the most. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, and raised in Morocco, Dr. Tanios grew up in the U.S. as an Egyptian American and conversations about mental health were not commonplace in her culture and upbringing. When she was exposed to the topic, she realized how mental health permeates all aspects of human life. Dr. Tanios states, “[mental health] is not just part of us; it’s enmeshed in who we are and what we do.” Her background influences her desire to provide care for families who may not talk about mental health or pursue treatment outside of primary care. Dr. Tanios was also inspired to pursue a career in mental health because she loves working with children. She states, “I love kids! I love this population, what I can do for them, and getting to work with families to establish a better relationship with mental health. I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing this year!” Dr. Tanios wants to be that first contact for families, be introduced as part of their medical team, improve access to care, and help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.
Dr. Tanios shares that one of the highlights of her training year is the team she works with. She describes her colleagues as “supportive and passionate” and considers it a privilege to work alongside people who are as eager and excited as she is about integrative health care. She enjoys working with physicians, nurses, and other mental health care providers, and appreciates how enthusiastic everyone has been about incorporating mental health into general healthcare. She hopes to continue to help develop the pediatric health psychology program and desires to be front and center in discussion surrounding ACES, pediatric integrative health, and fostering resiliency.
Another highlight of Dr. Tanios training year has been her program evaluation project. Dr. Tanios created a support group in the pediatrics department for families with a child newly diagnosed with ADHD. This group allows parents to get the information, support, and care that they need without having to go through the psychiatry department. The group is designed for caregivers of children ages 6-12 who were diagnosed with ADHD by their pediatrician, and the future goals of the group are to increase parent knowledge and self-efficacy, treatment adherence, and support. It is psychoeducational in nature, and Dr. Tanios covers diagnostic information, medication use, treatment options, behavioral strategies, and how to seek school support.
In her next professional chapter, you can find Dr. Tanios doing similar work: she recently accepted a psychological assistant position as a pediatric health psychology associate in Deer Valley! This aligns with her long-term career goals to work as a pediatric psychologist, creating better access to care and being front and center in integrative healthcare. In her free time, Dr. Tanios states her hobbies are to “eat good food and see good sites.” She describes herself as a “foodie” who loves going on trails when the sun is out and hopes to invest in a nice camera and get more into photography. Dr. Tanios’ palpable enthusiasm and love for her work and colleagues is contagious, and she will undoubtedly continue to positively impact countless families. On behalf of the MHTPs, congratulations Dr. Tanios on all your amazing achievements! We are thrilled you will be staying on as part of the KP family.
Contributed by Micaela Birt, Psy.D.
