House Officer Mental Health Program (HOMHP)

Michigan Medicine's House Officer Mental Health Program has been in existence since 1996, providing a range of mental health services to a large number of house officers in all disciplines. We are committed to supporting house officers during this significant, rewarding, and often stressful stage of life. We evaluate and treat a broad spectrum of mental health needs, including: depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, ADHD, stress management, interpersonal difficulties, and work-life balance issues, to name a few.

How to Schedule an Appointment

What to Expect When You Make an Appointment

Who We Are

Jennifer Votta, D.O. – Director, House Officer Mental Health Program

My story is quite similar to that of many of the house officers that I take care of, having dealt with depression, anxiety, and burnout at various points throughout my own medical training. Medical training is a unique experience that is simultaneously highly rewarding and highly challenging, and I understand on a very personal level how much of an impact mental health has on the overall experience. I look forward to helping support you during this incredibly unique journey!

While I treat the full array of mental health difficulties, I am particularly passionate about working with house officers who are struggling with depression, burnout, imposter syndrome, ADHD, and all of the challenges surrounding pregnancy and parenthood during medical training. When I am not in my office in UH South, you can find me in Mott where I work on the Nyman inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry unit (8CAPH) and the child and adolescent psychiatry consultation/liaison service.

I grew up in New Jersey and completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at Rutgers University. I then spent a year traveling abroad doing volunteer work before medical school. I graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2012, and then went to the University of Virginia for general adult psychiatry residency. I completed my fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Michigan State University, and while I have been working at U of M since 2018, I will always be a Spartan at heart! My favorite way to “fill my cup” is by spending time with my husband, our two children, and our dog.

Sarah Bommarito, M.D. – Faculty Psychiatrist

During medical school, psychiatry called to me through its emphasis on connecting with others and creating space for true understanding, ultimately leading to meaningful change. My work in this clinic has been particularly rewarding as supporting medical trainees in their personal and professional growth can be transformative. Medical training poses significant challenges that often cause us to feel isolated and to leave behind aspects of our individual identities, contributing to symptoms of burnout, depression, and anxiety. I aim to listen, understand, and collaborate with you to identify your personal values and develop an individualized treatment plan that honors and works toward those values, cultivating a greater sense of fulfillment during this uniquely demanding time.

I was born and raised in Michigan. I studied English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan, then attended Wayne State University for my master’s degree in Basic Medical Sciences and medical school. I returned to the University of Michigan for my general psychiatry residency, during which I also completed a one-year psychoanalytic psychotherapy fellowship through the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute. My main clinical interests include medical trainee and physician mental health, anxiety disorders, and burnout interventions. In addition to my work in the House Officer Mental Health Program, I also serve as one of the faculty psychiatrists in the Anxiety Disorders Clinic, and I develop and facilitate wellness interventions for our psychiatry residents. Outside of work, I enjoy baking, reading, and spending time with my friends and family, including my very sweet cat and dog.

Karla Blackwood, M.D. – Faculty Psychiatrist

Although it’s been over 20 years since I started my residency training, it still feels like it was yesterday, and I remember it quite vividly. Physician training is a unique, rewarding, challenging, and sometimes isolating time in our lives. I strongly believe that it is important to have as much support as possible. It is for this reason that I feel honored to be able to provide support during this part of your journey. I graduated from residency in 2000 and have worked in a variety of settings before I joined the faculty in 2009, but no other setting has been as deeply rewarding.

I received my undergraduate, medical school, residency and fellowship degrees from the University of Michigan. I am board certified in General Adult Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. My clinical interests include: young adult and college student mental health issues; perinatal and women’s mental health issues across the lifespan; and medical student and house officer mental health issues. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, reading, traveling, and spending time with my family.

There was something else that my mother did that I’ve always remembered: ‘Always look for the helpers,’ she’d tell me. ‘There’s always someone who is trying to help.’ - Fred Rogers

April Wesner – Administrative Assistant

I am the Administrative Assistant for the Mental Health Program. I have been working at Michigan Medicine for over 6 years, the entirety of which has been spent working at the Rachel Upjohn Building. I am passionate about working in mental health and really enjoy being able to help people and patients however I can. When I am not working, I enjoy travelling in and out of the United States.

How to Schedule an Appointment

What to Expect When You Make an Appointment

Who We Are

Frequently Asked Questions

Local Resources

Self-Help Resources