We’re excited to welcome Olena Sardo, PMHNP-BC, to the Jewish Family Services of WNY team! In her role as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Olena will work with children and adults and their counselors to develop their treatment plans and prescribe psychiatric medications. Mrs. Sardo’s services will be available to clients enrolled in JFS’ mental health counseling, allowing for a seamless transition between their mental health counseling services and psychiatric medication management. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Olena moved to Buffalo with her husband and immediately knew this position with JFS would be the right fit for her professional interests.
As a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Olena can both diagnose conditions and prescribe medication to treat them. The gap between accessing counseling and psychiatric services can be a significant barrier for patients seeking the full spectrum of care that they need to thrive. Psychiatrists often have long waiting lists and specific insurance requirements that make receiving care difficult. Having Mrs. Sardo as a member of JFS’ staff ensures that clients can easily access the care that they need based on their individual treatment plans. Stacey Schmid, Director of Clinical Services at JFS, notes that, “brings years of compassionate experience as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to youth and adults. We are excited to expand the availability of medication management services to our clients.”
Prior to becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Olena spent time working as an Trauma/ICU nurse. “Working in pediatric trauma for so many years, you are repeatedly witnessing families go through this truly terrifying time. I could see how these events affected the individuals and their families’ lives after that. There’s only so much you can be a witness to a problem before you want to get involved in trying to help fix it moving forward. Thus, going into psychiatry was the most sensible progression for me in hopes to have a more long-term impact.”
Olena’s passion for patient-centered care and working with clients who have experienced trauma make her the perfect addition to JFS’ growing team of clinicians. Her desire to assist those who have experienced significant trauma cope with their condition and manage their everyday lives led her to study psychiatry, and ultimately into her role with JFS.
Dr. Katie Diebold, Vice President of Behavioral Health at JFS, shared that they’re, “Excited to welcome Olena to our team. She brings several years of experience and knowledge that will strengthen our ability to provide high-quality, comprehensive mental health care to adults and children within our outpatient behavioral health services here at JFS. With Olena’s extensive psychiatric and nursing expertise and dedication, I’m confident that she will make a meaningful impact on the individuals and communities we serve”.
To learn more about behavioral health at JFS, click the button below or call (716) 883-1914.