Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health

11/20/2025

Today we recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance.

11/20/2025

It's Podcast Thursday!

In this episode, Andy Dean, LCSW, is once again interviewed by his friend and colleague Pete Maclearie, LCSW, Site Director at Penn Medicine – Princeton House Behavioral Health’s Eatontown location. Andy talks about how he helps clients change the way they relate to their anxiety when it shows up — instead of trying to make it disappear. Andy shares some of his favorite analogies for understanding anxiety treatment and explains why waiting for motivation to strike can sometimes make things worse. If you’ve ever wondered how to approach anxiety in a more workable, compassionate way, this episode is for you.

Episode here: http://spr.ly/618179efW

In this episode, Andy Dean, LCSW, is once again interviewed by his friend and colleague Pete Maclearie, LCSW, Site Director at Penn Medicine – Princeton Hous...

11/19/2025

The study of nearly 39,000 health records is the first to examine access to fi****ms and opioids, and completion of related interventions, among veterans at risk for su***de receiving care at the VA. Princeton House Behavioral Health has used this study to enhance its su***de prevention efforts.

Learn more here: http://spr.ly/61817e9tZ

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Standardizing a process used by doctors during care of veterans at risk for su***de could shed more light on the risks related to fi****ms and opioids.

11/18/2025

When eating a specific food item brings on a sense of distress followed by feelings of guilt
and shame, it’s considered a fear food. For patients with eating disorders, fear foods may have
different negative associations depending on past adverse experiences or how they’re portrayed
in the media, but one thing is consistent: avoiding them serves as a way to channel and manage
underlying anxiety and distress.

It's critical to reintroduce fear foods during treatment, according to Kelly Davidson, RDN, CEDS,
Nutrition Therapist at Princeton Center for Eating Disorders.

“Continuing to avoid fear foods can reinforce the eating disorder and fear-based beliefs,” she
explains. “Plus, through avoidance, patients may be missing out on certain micro- and macronutrients they need for balanced nutrition.”

A step-based approach can ease reintroduction. Davidson asks adult patients to rank foods from
preferred to very challenging and create a hierarchy of their top ten fear foods. The timing for
introducing foods depends on medical acuity and whether patients can complete a meal plan –
at which point she typically gives them the option to select a few fear foods to incorporate or
have her choose on their behalf.

Team members at Princeton Center for Eating Disorders help patients mentally prepare for meals
through grounding exercises, distress tolerance skills, and cope-ahead plans. Coached meals are
available, providing validation, support, and prompting while eating. Plus, patients have access to
creative ways to broaden exposure when ready, such as in-person or virtual family meals, takeout
meals, and the opportunity to visit the Princeton Medical Center cafeteria.

“Sometimes it’s baby steps, but achieving mastery on one level can build a foundation that helps
patients take on the next,” says Davidson. “Once an adequate calorie intake is established, we
can expand variety. The process is a key part of helping patients begin to
feel normal around food again.”

11/17/2025

AI Is Here – What’s the Impact on Behavioral Health Care?

In recent treatment sessions with patients, Arshad Siddiqui, MD, physician informaticist and medical director of Princeton House Behavioral Health’s Princeton outpatient site, has a third entity in the room. As part of a Penn Medicine pilot study – and only with each patient’s expressed consent – DAX Copilot ambient AI technology listens in the background to transcribe the session and provide a complete progress note that Dr. Siddiqui can then edit as needed.

Thus far, no patients have declined the use of the technology in his sessions. In fact, many of his younger patients seem particularly open to incorporating AI into their daily lives. Dr. Siddiqui has also noticed specific benefits that extend beyond saving time and creating efficiencies.

“It’s enabled me to be more mindful and present in interactions with patients, including a greater opportunity to make eye contact, observe facial expressions, and assess body language,” he says. “AI picks up far more content than you would realize, including many valuable details you may not have remembered later. It also has prompted me to consistently summarize key points at the end of a session, which helps my patients and makes me a better teacher.”

Just like the advent of the Internet four decades ago or smartphones more recently, he notes that new technology can and should be harnessed in responsible ways.

“It’s essential for providers to be at the forefront of learning about emerging technology so they can be more efficient and productive, better understand what patients are talking about in their practice, and help ensure ethical guardrails,” says Dr. Siddiqui.

Learning how to evaluate AI tools and deciding which to integrate in a responsible manner will be especially important in the behavioral health field, according to Dr. Siddiqui. Considering the sensitive nature of information discussed during treatment, it’s critical to select tools that ensure there are no breaches in privacy, bias, or liability issues. Providers should also consider the potential impact on trust, the willingness to share information, and the overall patient-provider relationship.

· The American Psychological Association has developed a step-by-step guide that highlights important considerations when assessing digital tools that use AI technology, available at http://spr.ly/61867e5z4.
· The American Psychiatric Association offers an FAQ with its position statement recommendations along with potential applications for AI in behavioral health care at http://spr.ly/61817e5zh. Of note, it recommends that “AI-driven systems used in health care should be labeled as AI-driven and categorized in a standardized and transparent way for practitioners as ‘minimal,’ ‘medium,’ ‘high,’ and ‘unacceptable’ risk to patients.”

The potential uses of AI in behavioral health care are expanding at breakneck speed. Some may have more apparent benefits, such as administrative tasks, data analysis, supportive tools to augment treatment goals between sessions, or predictive analytics that help providers make more informed decisions. Other potential AI products may generate concern, such as the ability to diagnose or treat patients. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association’s position states that AI should function in an augmentative role to treatment and should not replace clinicians – and Dr. Siddiqui agrees.

“If AI helps providers spend more time with patients and less on paperwork, I see that as a good thing,” he says. “It’s a hot topic of conversation, particularly among younger generations, and our department is open to being informed and ready to test AI on a larger scale.”

“But human-to-human interaction is the most optimal way to communicate between patients and providers for a variety of reasons,” he adds. “The diagnosis and treatment of a behavioral health condition is such a nuanced, personalized skill, and I can’t imagine that being replaced.”

Penn Medicine, an early adopter, is taking a thoughtful approach to exploring and integrating AI tools while ensuring ethical guardrails. As part of Penn Medicine, Princeton House is piloting ambient listening at its five outpatient sites with tech-savvy psychiatric providers, including Dr. Siddiqui. In addition, five outpatient providers will soon begin piloting an AI tool for summarizing weekly notes, potentially removing the burden of a labor-intensive task that requires them to pore through and recap a vast amount of content. This alone could be a differentiator for the recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals, according to Peter Thomas, PhD, vice president of Outpatient Services at Princeton Health. He notes that the piloting process involves a cycle of dialogue designed to fine tune the AI model for optimal, judicious use.

11/14/2025

Happy Friday!

11/13/2025

Today we celebrate World Kindness Day!

Every day is a good day to be kind.

11/13/2025

It's Podcast preview Thursday!

“Where did this come from?” “When did I start feeling this way?” Andy Dean, LCSW describes this common trick that anxiety uses to get people stuck.

Full episode coming next week.

Watch here: http://spr.ly/61857n969

“Where did this come from?” “When did I start feeling this way?” Andy Dean, LCSW describes this common trick that anxiety uses to get people stuck. Full ep...

11/12/2025

Maximizing Nutrition and Ensuring Flexibility with Tube Feeding

During inpatient treatment, the Penn Medicine Princeton Center for Eating Disorders team works to maximize nutrition to help patients regain medical stabilization. From the first day of admission, the team trials behavioral interventions to promote increased nutritional intake. In some cases, tube feeding – most often through the use of nasogastric tubes – serves as an additional supportive tool to help achieve this goal with greater ease. The team approaches tube feeding with compassion, flexibility, patient and parent engagement, and the latest devices designed to improve comfort.

“Tube feeding can be a particularly helpful strategy for patients who have difficulty completing their full meal plan by mouth,” says Susan Murray, PhD, supervising psychologist at Princeton Center for Eating Disorders. “It can diminish ‘food noise’ – the constant and often distressing thoughts about food due to continuous hunger – and also reduce the anxiety related to decision-making about food.”

These benefits, paired with the potential improvement in cognition that may come with nutritional rehabilitation, may lead to clearer thinking and the ability to focus more fully on treatment.

“This type of care can be a wonderful option in our toolbox to provide consistent, reliable nutrition,” says Jenna Deinzer, RD, lead dietitian. “From a medical standpoint, it ensures that we’re moving toward stability while also offering flexibility.”

The team is skilled in managing all types of tubes, including those that are surgically or endoscopically placed. Because the eating disorders program is part of Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, onsite GI expertise is available to place a gastrostomy or gastrojejunostomy tube if necessary.

Princeton Center for Eating Disorders recently completed a pilot study on the use of new small-bore CORFLO nasogastric tubes that can be inserted by nurses, with positive results leading to ongoing use. Nurses received one-on-one training on placing tubes safely, and the smaller size and compassionate approach maximizes comfort for adults and children alike.

“Our nurses have the ability to place these tubes almost immediately after receiving the physician order, which streamlines care,” says Corinne Timberman, MSN, RN, PMHN-BC, nurse manager. “Tube feeding is meant to be a supportive intervention, and that includes the placement process.”

Nurses educate patients prior to tube placement and talk through each step during insertion. An additional staff member is available to provide support and coping tools, such as soothing music and hot or cold packs. In addition, medication to ease anxiety can be ordered by a physician. “Once a tube is inserted, we use X-rays to ensure proper placement – the gold standard for this type of care,” adds Timberman.

Dietitians at Princeton Center for Eating Disorders select formulas based on individual needs, with options including standard, fiber-containing, concentrated, specialized (ie, dairy-free), and semi-elemental, which features easier-to-absorb proteins for those with very complex GI issues. They then calculate energy goals and monitor the feeding rate and duration throughout the process.

Built-in pump technology enables volume-based feeding, which ensures greater accuracy in the volume and energy being administered. Feeding is typically started at a low rate, giving the body time to adjust. From there, options include continuous, bolus, or nocturnal feeding.

For example, continuous tube feeding can be used as a supplement if a patient is unable to complete meals or is eating smaller meals. Bolus tube feeding over a short period of time can mimic a meal and help regulate hunger and fullness cues. And overnight feeding is sometimes preferred by patients.

In addition to being highly individualized, tube feeding is meant to be a limited-time intervention at Princeton Center for Eating Disorders. “From the minute we place a tube, we start planning its removal,” notes Deinzer. “We work to meet goals and then transition patients off gradually so they can continue treatment progress.”

“We consider this intervention as a bridge to help patients get to the next part of their journey,” adds Dr. Murray.

“Having an NG tube was a deeply supportive part of my recovery. It gave my body the nourishment it needed, quieted my relentless food noise, and allowed me to heal on my own terms. Rather than feeling like a setback, it provided a steady foundation to focus on restoration and growth, at a pace that met me where I was at. With constant nourishment, I felt my cognitive function return and, with it, pieces of my personality that had faded.”
-Princeton Center for Eating Disorders patient

11/11/2025

Veterans Day.

Today we honor and remember.

Thank you.

11/11/2025

A special episode of Mind on Mental Health for you today in honor of Veterans Day.

For this special episode, host Andy Dean interviews Dr. David Clauser, a US Marine Corps veteran. After his time in the military, Dave had a full career in secondary education, and holds a doctorate in education. Today, Dave is a Certified Peer Response Specialist who works with first responders at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health’s inpatient hospital. He talks with Andy about something he tells all of his peers who are in the hospital for treatment: the six most important words he’s ever learned: “I don’t know. I need help.”
Those are harder than you would think for first responders to say.

Join Andy and Dave as they talk about how loved ones can help the first responder they care about get help. Listen here: http://spr.ly/61887TspY

11/10/2025

Let's celebrate!

New Employee of the Quarter!

Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health is pleased to announce that Jack Jones, MD, one of our newest psychiatrists, has been named New Employee of the Quarter by his colleagues.

Dr. Jones has “a great passion for psychiatry…and is an extremely personable doctor who seems equally comfortable with his peers and his patients.”

Nominators relayed examples of Dr. Jones’ connection with and respect for patients, even when they are feeling their worst.

“In the short time that Dr. Jones has been on our wing, his warmth, kindness, and team-oriented leadership style have made a huge impact here at Princeton House. And he is so good with the patients. I hope Dr. Jones knows that we are so happy and lucky to have him on the team.”