About me
Dionne Smith Coker-Appiah, PhD, MAED, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She is affiliated with the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and provides clinical care for adolescents and emerging adults. Dr. Coker-Appiah has also engaged in a focused program of research that has focused on Rural Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention and Rural Adolescent Mental Health. Her research program has enabled her to build a comprehensive, domestic and international, Adolescent Dating Violence (ADV) Prevention research program, utilizing community-based participatory research approaches. More specifically, her research program is designed to: (a) prevent ADV and the associated health implications (mental, sexual, physical) among rural African Americans and international youth of Color, (b) build effective and sustainable community partnerships that build community capacity to address these issues, and (c) design culturally and geographically appropriate ADV prevention interventions. She directs the Adolescent Dating Violence Prevention Laboratory, which, in addition to conducting research, provides training and mentoring to numerous students (undergraduate, graduate, medical) and fellows. Her research has been funded by both federal and non-federal grants. Dr. Coker-Appiah’s most recent research has focused on building community partnerships to promote mental health and prevent ADV in rural North Carolina (Project LOVE) and Ghana, West Africa (GEAR UP-Ghana). She is also currently exploring, from an intergenerational and key stakeholder perspective, knowledge, perceptions and beliefs about mental health in rural communities (Minding Our Business). Dr. Coker-Appiah has dedicated her career to engaging in innovative research designed to prevent ADV and promote the mental health of youth in rural communities of Color. She is passionate about using her clinical skills and research and prevention efforts to ensure that all adolescents are mentally healthy and able to live healthy, violence-free lives.
Clinical areas of focus
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treatment
- Existential Group Therapy
- Health Promotion Counseling
- Pain Medication Management
- Parent Management Training
- Play Therapy
- Women's Mental Health Treatment
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Adjustment Disorder With Anxiety
- Adjustment Disorder With Mixed Anxiety And Depressed Mood
- Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Agoraphobia
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Anxiety
- Appearance And Behavior Symptoms
- Asperger Syndrome
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- Cognitive Function Disorders
- Conduct Disorders
- Depressive Episode
- Eating Disorders
- Emotional Disorders
- Emotional State Symptoms
- Emotional State Symptoms (MOOD SWINGS)
- Irritability
- Manic Episode
- Memory Loss
- Mental Health Conditions
- Personal Risk Factors
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder
- Postpartum Depression
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
- Problems Related To Primary Support Group
- Psychosis
- Psychotic Disorder
- Reaction To Stress And Adjustment Disorders In Children
- Schizoid Personality Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Selective Mutism
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Specific Phobia
- Suicidal Thought
- Tic Disorder
- Tourette Syndrome
- Trauma And Stress Disorders
- Trichotillomania
Procedures I perform
- Adjustment Disorder Treatment
- Alcohol Abuse Counseling
- Anxiety Disorder Treatment
- Anxiety Management
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treatment
- Behavioral Activation
- Behavioral Modification
- Bipolar Disorder Treatment
- Child Development Guidance
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Cognitive Flexibility Training
- Depression Treatment
- Electroconvulsive Therapy
- Existential Group Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing
- Graston Technique
- Grief Counseling
- Group Psychotherapy
- Group Therapy
- Health Promotion Counseling
- Mental Health Assessment
- Mental Status Exam
- Mood Disorder Treatment
- Motivational Interviewing
- Neuropsychological Testing
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment
- Pain Medication Management
- Parent Management Training
- Personality Disorder Treatment
- Play Therapy
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Screening
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment
- Psychiatric Evaluation
- Psychological Evaluation
- Psychopharmacology
- Psychotherapy
- Schizophrenia Treatment
- Social Skills Training
- Stress Reduction
- Suicidal Ideation Treatment
- Suicide Intervention
- Women's Mental Health Treatment
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- United Healthcare Choice
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- First Health PPO
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- IH-EPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CIGNA PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Medicare FFS
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- TRICARE East Prime
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- IH-PPO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- IH-POS Plus
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- TRICARE for Life East
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Navigate
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst NASCO
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Choice POS II Open Access
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Network OA
- Sentara Health
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- IH-HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- CIGNA Indemnity
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Employee Health Plan
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Beech Street PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- United Student Resources
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- HighMark
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CareFirst Administrators
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Optimum Choice
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- POS OA
- Aetna Basic
- Blue Choice Advantage
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst EPO
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- BlueChoice Open Access
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Choice POS
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- IH-Open POS II
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- IH-POS
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- IH-Indemnity
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- OA Plus
- First Health PPO
- CIGNA EPO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Choice POS II
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- IH-Open HMO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Choice Fund PPO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
Education
Fellowship: National Institutes of Health (2013)
Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2006)
Graduate: University of Tennessee at Knoxville (2004)
Internship: Ohio State University - College of Medicine (2004)