Longtime Department of Psychiatry Professor Carl Greiner, MD, made a significant donation to grow psychotherapy.
According to the University of Nebraska Foundation, the fund shall be used to support faculty, residents, or trainees interested in consultation-liaison (C/L), medical/psychiatry, or psychotherapy training in the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Greiner would like the fund to be used to support a diversity of experiences that could involve bringing in speakers, travel awards, or other ways of enhancing training in these domains.
Faculty or staff can request up to $4,000 per experience.
Dr. Greiner worked in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry from 1982-2016. Along with being an adult psychiatrist and Director of Medical Education, he worked as a consultant/liaison psychiatist in outpatient psychiatry. Additionally, he worked with cancer and transplant patients.
While Dr. Greiner held many roles in the department, he came to UNMC to teach psychotherapy, and the specialty holds a special place in his heart.
“It’s a hard time right now for psychotherapy, but we need to continue to find a place for it in our teaching and treatment,” Dr. Greiner said.
He hopes faculty and staff members can use funds to travel to other training programs and study psychotherapy.
“The intent is not to make people full-time psychotherapists, but, instead, make people comfortable doing some psychotherapy with patients,” Dr. Greiner said. “I hope to encourage people, if interested, to go to a place where large programs get training.”
The award was donated in Karen Greiner’s name. She is the sister of Dr. Greiner, and she died from brain cancer. Dr. Greiner said a behavioral healthcare specialist who can work with cancer patients is a huge need.