Bridgewell, a nonprofit providing social and human services that empower people with disabilities and other life challenges to live safe, self-directed and productive lives, today announced the addition of two nurse prescribers to its team of clinicians. Carine Luxama, PMHNP-BC and Karin O’Brien, APRN, will enhance Bridgewell’s ability to provide more children and adults with high-quality diagnostic medication assessments and ongoing medication management services in the Merrimack Valley communities.
“With a shortage of medical personnel able to prescribe medication to children, Bridgewell is thrilled to welcome Carine and Karin as new nurse practitioners to our clinical team,” said Dr. Jaclyn Devine, clinic director of Bridgewell Counseling Services, Chelmsford. “As they fill this vital need within the community, our patients will benefit from their years of medical experience in continued care for adults and children with behavioral health issues.”
In their roles at Bridgewell, Luxama and O’Brien will focus on providing comprehensive behavioral health treatment. Their expertise will aid Bridgewell’s counseling services in improving the quality of life for people struggling with continued treatment. In addition, their ability to prescribe increases their ability to improve the process of growth, change and recovery across a diverse patient population.
Luxama comes to Bridgewell with more than a decade of clinical experience. She holds dual certification as a nurse practitioner for adult primary care as well as child, adolescent and adult psych mental health. Her expertise encompasses serving people affected with HIV or AIDS, providing outpatient and inpatient psychiatric care in the communities of the Merrimack Valley, providing in-home primary care to those affected by spinal cord injuries and caring for physically and developmentally disabled clients in?the Greater Boston area. Luxama is a graduate of Brandeis University, where she received her BA in Sociology. She continued her educational pursuits, acquiring a master’s in nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions as well as a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner from Northeastern University. Luxama is currently enrolled at Boston College to secure her Ph.D. in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing.
“Bridgewell prides itself on personalized care for those affected by mental illness,” said Luxama. “I am looking forward to joining an organization with a unified team of clinicians working toward the same goal of improving the quality of life of their patients.”
O’Brien has been a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, certified in child-adolescent mental health since 1998. A graduate of Northeastern University, where she received both her bachelor and master’s degrees, she has experience in diverse facets of health care. This includes medical and psychiatric nursing, servicing geriatric patients in nursing homes and providing outpatient psychiatric services to children, adolescents and adults. O’Brien is well-versed in diagnostic evaluation, treatment plans, psychopharmacology and psychotherapy and has optimized patient care through her experience of building therapeutic relationships with clients and their health care teams.
“I was drawn to Bridgewell, not only because of the incredible work the organization is doing in the community, but also because of its collaborative approach to patient care,” said O’Brien. “Collaboration is a core aspect of a health care team and key to achieving better patient outcomes, which means the children and adults in our care can be confident they’re receiving the best and most individualized treatment for their needs.”
ABOUT BRIDGEWELL
Bridgewell is a nonprofit social and human services organization dedicated to strengthening communities. Headquartered in Peabody, Mass., Bridgewell empowers people with disabilities and
other life challenges to live safe, self-directed and productive lives. Bridgewell delivers support through community housing, day programs, outpatient treatment, recovery services, education and employment training. Bridwell’s staff of more than 1,400 professionals serves approximately 6,300 people and their families. Bridgewell is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and fully licensed by the state. For more information, visit www.bridgewell.org.
