History

History

Psychiatrist S. Spafford Ackerly studied under Alfred Adler at Yale before coming to the University of Louisville in 1932 to be the first full-time faculty member in psychiatry and to head a mental health clinic. He began programs to educate medical students in psychiatry and to extend services to the greater Louisville community. At the medical school, he expanded the psychiatry curriculum and added innovative features so that by 1936, the department was named one of the eleven best in the country. He served as Chair until 1963. Today, 92 years later, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences continues to thrive and expand. 

Billy Keller (Chair from 1963-1973) was a notable figure in the field of psychiatry and made significant contributions to mental health care in the region, particularly in his work with various organization and initiatives aimed at improving mental health services. John Schwab (Chair from 1973-1991) worked with diverse patient populations and had a particular focus on integrated care, emphasizing the importance of addressing both mental and physical health. Allan Tasman (Chair from 1991-2015) was a prominent psychiatrist known for his contributions to both clinical and academic institutions and professional organizations. David Casey (Chair from 2015-current) is a respected psychiatrist, known for his work in the field of geriatric psychiatry. He contributes to various aspects of psychiatric practice, including clinical care, education and community outreach.

All Chairs were involved in training future mental health professionals, advocating for policies that support mental health initiatives and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Our mission is to provide exceptional medical education, foster career paths in psychiatry and expand clinical programs. We are committed to excellence through innovative initiatives, such as the University of Louisville Depression Center and a focus on diverse subspecialties, all while maintaining a strong recruitment record and supporting the growth of our faculty and services.

Who we serve

The Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences serves a diverse patient population, as well as medical students, residents and fellows pursuing careers in psychiatry. 

Our adult psychiatric program caters to the diverse needs of the community, providing comprehensive psychiatric care. We specialize in a range of areas, including mood disorders, addiction, geriatric psychiatry, psycho-oncology, telepsychiatry, women’s mental health, student mental health, anxiety and more. We offer medication management, as well as ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) and rTMS (repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). We are affiliated with two hospitals that feature inpatient psychiatry units, providing care for individuals with a variety of psychiatric diagnosis, as well as those who are medically ill.

Emergency Psychiatric Services (EPS), located at the UofL Health - UofL Hospital, is a unique service featuring a partnership between the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and our local community mental health center, Seven Counties Services. EPS is the only fully staffed 24-hour psychiatric emergency service in the region.