What is the MedStar Georgetown Adolescent IOP?
Our adolescent IOP is a comprehensive, DBT-based intensive outpatient program for adolescents ages 13-17 who need more support than traditional once-a-week outpatient therapy can provide. Our mission is to inspire a pathway to wellness by teaching healthy coping skills, exploring identity, and building community through diverse, fun, and engaging programming in an open and accepting space.
What is an intensive outpatient program?
An intensive outpatient program (IOP) provides a higher level of care than traditional once-a-week individual therapy but is less intensive than inpatient hospitalization. Our program includes 3 hours of group therapy, 3 days per week, in addition to individual therapy, psychiatry services, and parent groups. The program curriculum runs on a 12-week cycle.
Our team includes experienced psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, and care coordinators. Group therapy topics include emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, mindfulness, connection to nature, executive skills coaching, and nutrition.
What is DBT?
DBT stands for dialectical behavioral therapy. It is an evidence-based treatment for people who have difficulty controlling their emotions and behaviors and aims to replace problem behaviors with skillful behaviors. This helps teens experience a range of emotions without necessarily acting on those emotions, navigate relationships in healthy ways, and create a life worth living (DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents by Jill H. Rathus and Alex L. Miller). All of our core therapists in the adolescent IOP are intensively trained in DBT.
Who is eligible for the adolescent IOP?
If a person is between the ages of 13 and 17 and has been struggling with their mental health, they may be eligible for IOP. Often people are referred to an IOP after being discharged from an inpatient hospital or partial hospitalization program, or they are referred by their outpatient psychiatrist or therapist. Sometimes an IOP is the first step in a person’s mental health journey.
Diagnoses our program can help to treat/support include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Psychosis
- ADHD and other executive functioning disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Social skills deficits
- High functioning autism spectrum disorders
With substance use or eating disorder, a different service sometimes needs to be the first step before joining an IOP focused on general mental health. If this is the case, our team can provide references to sites that provide specialized services.
How do I get started?
If you believe you or your child may be a good fit for our program, call 202-944-5400 and follow the prompts for scheduling and intensive outpatient services and state that you are interested in the adolescent IOP.Note that IOP patients must be able to attend all weekly group components, which occur Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3-6pm at our office at 2115 Wisconsin Ave NW, in addition to weekly individual therapy and as needed psychiatry meetings. Attending the full 9 hours of group therapy weekly and 1 hour of individual therapy are mandatory components of the program. At least one parent or caregiver must also be able to attend the weekly parent sessions on Thursdays (4-6pm).
Once you indicate your interest in IOP, our care coordinator will call to ask a few basic questions and discuss program logistics and criteria with you. If eligible, you will then be scheduled for a phone screen with one of our clinicians. In that evaluation, you can also discuss care needs, treatment recommendations, and further details about the program, and we can answer any questions you may have.
What can I expect?
Once you have completed your phone screen and are determined to be a good fit for our program, we will schedule a psychiatric evaluation, and you will receive consent forms and intake documents to complete prior to the evaluation appointment. When the psychiatric evaluation is complete and insurance clears, you will be assigned an individual therapist and group therapy start date.
Groups meet in-person on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3-6pm, and psychiatry and therapy visits are completed outside of these hours, either virtually or in person. Groups will typically have 5-8 adolescents at a time. Cell phones are not allowed during group meetings. There are breaks between each group, when members can use the bathroom, have a snack, etc.
See a sample schedule below:
*Key: Blue = Individual appointments; Orange = Teen group; Green = Parent group; Purple = Parent and Teen group
Meet our team
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Olivia Hamrah, MD, Medical Director
Olivia Hamrah, MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and a medical director of the Adolescent IOP. Dr. Hamrah completed medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine, her adult psychiatry training at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her child psychiatry fellowship at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Prior to her medical training, Dr. Hamrah taught middle school physics and math at a public charter school in Washington, DC. She is passionate about bringing accessible, high quality mental health care to DC to foster wellness in young people and equip them to navigate their lives in healthy ways.
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Swati Chanani, MD, Medical Director
Swati Chanani, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and medical director for the IOP. Dr. Chanani completed a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University and a psychiatry residency at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Chanani received her medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Prior to that, she graduated magna cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis earning an A.B. in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology. Dr. Chanani has an interest in working with adolescents and young adults to help them achieve their goals and transition into successful adults. She also serves as the Associate Program Director for the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship and has a strong interest in training and mentorship.
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Dario Martinez, Care Coordinator, Nature Group Lead
Dario Martinez is a native Washingtonian currently serving as the Care Coordinator for the Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (AIOP) at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Psychiatry. Prior to joining the team in this role, he completed internships in both the Adolescent and Young Adult Intensive Outpatient Programs, where he developed a strong foundation in group-based and transitional care.
Dario earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from University of the District of Columbia and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Social Work while working toward clinical licensure. He recently completed a Nature-Informed Therapy training and is currently receiving intensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Dario is passionate about supporting adolescents and families through compassionate, strengths-based, and skills-focused care. -
Tovah Weinrib, PhD, DBT Teaching and Supervision Lead and Program Development
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Danielle Novick, PhD, Research Lead and Program Development
Dani Novick, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the provision of evidence-based interventions to address mood and anxiety disorders, disruptive behaviors, neurodevelopmental disorders, and interpersonal difficulties across the lifespan and at various levels of care. She provides individual therapy, family therapy, behavioral parent training, and is a certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) therapist. Dr. Novick received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she also completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Neuroscience. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Child Study Center at the Yale School of Medicine, where she received intensive generalist training as well as specialized training in early childhood assessment and intervention. Dr. Novick’s research focuses on (1) examining early risk/protective factors for adverse child developmental outcomes, and (2) evaluating parent-child interventions that target these risk/protective factors. Her current clinical research focuses on measurement-based care and the provision of wellbeing-focused initiatives within MGUH's outpatient clinic.
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Marika Martin,MS, PhD, Lead Family Therapist
Dr. Marika Martin is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with specialized training in Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Within the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), she supports adolescents and young adults experiencing emotional dysregulation, mood instability, trauma-related symptoms, interpersonal difficulties, self-harming behaviors, and elevated stress.
Dr. Martin brings a calm, compassionate, and structured approach to DBT treatment. She recognizes that many individuals entering IOP feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or stuck in patterns that no longer serve them. Her goal is to create a validating and nonjudgmental environment while equipping clients and their families with practical, evidence-based skills that foster meaningful and sustainable change.
Within the IOP setting, Dr. Martin provides:
• DBT skills training (Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness)
• Individual and family therapy aligned with DBT principles
• Behavior chain analysis and solution analysis
• Skills coaching and crisis management support
• Parent education and family guidanceHer background in trauma-focused therapy, EMDR, Family Systems Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy allows her to integrate a relational and trauma-informed perspective into DBT treatment. She is particularly attentive to the ways family dynamics, attachment patterns, and environmental stressors influence emotional regulation.
Dr. Martin is committed to helping clients not only reduce harmful behaviors but also build lives that feel meaningful, connected, and worth living. She collaborates closely with individuals and families to strengthen resilience, deepen self-awareness, and develop practical tools that extend well beyond the duration of the program. -
Michelle Sobon, PsyD, MBA, ABSNP
Dr. Sobon trained in Ohio earning her doctorate in clinical psychology at Wright State University, School of Professional Psychology, and completed her internship and post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Child Psychology. She completed post-graduate training in neuropsychology through the American Board of School Neuropsychology and is an Intensively Trained Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Therapist. Through her work in schools, clinics, and pediatric nonprofits, she has helped struggling children and teens feel more successful, and the adults in their lives better understand how to support them. Within the Adolescent IOP, Dr. Sobon provides individual and group therapy and parent support. She serves as a member of the Comprehensive DBT Team.
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Travis Spencer, Mindfulness Group Lead
Travis Spencer is a mental health therapist and mindfulness teacher/facilitator. Additionally, Travis is a mental health coordinator for Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (IBme) retreats in Virginia and in California. Travis has established The Institute of African American Mindfulness (IAAM), The Mindful Teen Circles (MTC) at Georgetown, The Mindful Teens of Color at Taratibu Youth Association (TYA) and is an active member of the Early Childhood Innovation Network (ECIN). He is a graduate of Trinity Washington University with a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
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Joanna Pustilnik, Nutrition Group Lead
Joanna Pustilnik, MS, RDN, CDCES is a Registered Dietitian, Diabetes Educator, certified intuitive eating counselor, with a strong background in the treatment of eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder), weight management (including post bariatric surgery nutrition counseling), emotional eating, metabolic health and chronic disease, fertility and women's health (fertility, gestational diabetes, postnatal nutrition, and PCOS), sports nutrition, nutrition for mental health, digestive health (SIBO and IBS), healthy aging, plant-based nutrition, and sustainable eating. She received her Master’s in Nutrition Science from the University of Cincinnati before completing her dietetic training at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, VA.
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Saad Shamshair, MD, Psychiatrist
Saad Shamshair, MD was raised in New Jersey and completed his undergraduate education at Rutgers University. He earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center, followed by Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His clinical interests include the evaluation and treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and disruptive behavior disorders, with a particular focus on working collaboratively with families to support long‑term outcomes. He enjoys teaching students, residents, and fellows.
Outside of his professional work, Dr. Shamshair enjoys spending time with his family, caring for his cats, biking, and reading fiction.
Our locations
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MedStar Health: Outpatient Psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
2115 Wisconsin Ave., NW Ste. 200 Washington, DC, 20007