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Barbara A. Schindler

Barbara A. Schindler, MD

Vice Dean Emerita, Educational and Academic Affairs; Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics


Department: Psychiatry

Practices: The Caring Together Program

Specialties: Psychiatry

Education

  • BA - Boston University
  • MD - Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania

Awards & Honors

  • Named "Top Doctor" by Philadelphia magazine (2013-2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)
  • “Making A Difference” Award, Mayor’s Commission on Addiction & Recovery (MCAR). The award recognizes those who have been working unselfishly to assist individuals challenged by substance use disorders and those at risk. (2022)
  • Distinguished Service Award, Liaison Committee on Medical Education
  • Drexel University College of Medicine Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Association of American Medical Colleges Women in Medicine Silver Achievement Award
  • Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society's Presidential Award
  • Daniel Blain Award of the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society
  • The Commonwealth Board Award
  • WMC/MCP Alumnae/i Association Service Award
  • The Lindback Teaching Award

Memberships / Professional Affiliations

  • Alpha Omega Alpha
  • Professional Member, Liaison Committee on Medical Education
Philadelphia magazine's Top Doctors 2023

Dr. Schindler is the founder and medical director of the Caring Together Program, an outpatient treatment program for women with substance use disorders and their children. She is board certified in psychiatry, with added qualifications in geriatric psychiatry and expertise in hospital consultation psychiatry and the treatment of addictive and psychiatric disorders.

Accepting referrals for the Caring Together Program only. Contact Information: 215.967.2130.

Dr. Schindler has earned fellowship status in the American Psychiatric Association and the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and is a past president of the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society. She served on the Council of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society.

  • Named "Top Doctor" by Philadelphia magazine (2013-2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)
  • Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society's Presidential Award
  • Daniel Blain Award of the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society

Podcast

Clinical Services

Psychiatric evaluation, Women's mental health, Addictive Disorders in Women, Psychosomatic medicine

Internships

  • Internal Medicine - Medical College of Pennsylvania (1971)

Residencies

  • Adult Psychiatry - Medical College of Pennsylvania (1973)
  • Child Psychiatry - Medical College of Pennsylvania (1975)

Affiliated Hospitals

Friends Hospital

Barbara Schindler, MD, is a professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, and vice dean emerita of educational and academic affairs at Drexel University College of Medicine. As vice dean, a position she held for 18 years, she guided the College through several LCME accreditations and provided exemplary leadership and creativity in the service of medical education. Prior to becoming vice dean, Dr. Schindler served as acting chair of the Department of Psychiatry from 1993 to 1995.

Dr. Schindler is featured in these clinician resources about substance use disorder:

Research Interests

Prevention, identification and treatment of substance use disorders; educational outcomes; medical school accreditation

Research

Dr. Schindler has over 150 publications, abstracts, and presentations in consultation-liaison psychiatry/psychosomatic medicine, substance abuse in women, and medical education. She collaborated on a multicenter study of the effects of financial stress on the physical and mental health of academic-health-center faculty and is the principal investigator of two SAMHSA grants, one to expand Caring Together for women being released from incarceration, and another focused on expanding prevention, identification and treatment of opioid use disorder in Philadelphia.

In the Media

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Announces Recent CURE Grant Recipients
(August 14, 2023)

"Drexel University College of Medicine Faculty Named Philadelphia Magazine Top Doctors™ for 2023"
(May 1, 2023)

Faculty Highlights: Recent Awards and Grants
DrexelNow (March 10, 2023)

"Philadelphia drug deaths soared again in 2020, hitting Black residents hardest: ‘It’s a racial justice issue’"
The Philadelphia Inquirer (June 3, 2021)

Drexel University College of Medicine Faculty Named Philadelphia Magazine Top Doctors™ for 2021
(May 14, 2021)

"Babies Are Being Born Addicted to Opioids More Than Ever. Why Don't We Know Anything About Their Prognosis?"
WCAU-TV (NBC-10) (November 22, 2017)

"Better training for health care providers may reduce stigma"
Bucks County Courier Times (October 20, 2017)

"Faculty Highlights: Grants and Awards From Summer 2017"
Drexel Now (October 11, 2017)

"Faculty Physicians Named 'Top Docs' by Philadelphia Magazine"
(April 28, 2016)

"Faculty Physicians Named 'Top Docs' by Philadelphia Magazine"
(May 1, 2015)

"Caring Together Celebrates 25 Years of Treating Women With Addictions"
(March 17, 2015)

"Online Tool May Improve Care for Substance Users"
(October 9, 2014)

"Faculty Physicians Named 'Top Docs' by Philadelphia Magazine"
(May 1, 2014)

Medical Students Satisfied With Education, But Confusion About Practice Choices, Debt, Health Reform Remain
AAMC Reporter (November 2013)

Drexel Medical Students Get Clinical Experience Through Kaiser
Sacramento Business Journal (August 7, 2013)

"Faculty Physicians Named 'Top Docs' by Philadelphia Magazine"
(May 1, 2013)

Am I Too Old for Med School?
www.studentdoc.com (May 2012)

Publications

Selected Publications

"Attitudes toward harm reduction among substance use treatment professionals in Philadelphia"
Javadi R, Lagana K, Krowicki T, Bennett D and Schindler B
Journal of Substance Use https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2021.1961320 (August 9, 2021)

"Managing Chronic Pain: Non-Pharmacologic Approaches"
Bass MA, Schindler BA and Novack D
DOCCOM Module 44. https://webcampus.med.drexel.edu/DocCom/MCP/Module044/ (2021)

"Initiating Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder"
Bass MA, Schindler BA and Novack D
DOCCOM Module 43. https://webcampus.med.drexel.edu/DocCom/MAT/module043/ (2021)

“Efficacy of an Internet-Based Learning Module and Small Group Debriefing on Trainees’ Attitude and Communication Skills Toward Patients with Substance Abuse Disorders"
Lanken, PH, Novack, DH, Daetwyler, C, Gallop, R, Landis, JR, Lapin J, Subramaniam, G. and Schindler, BA
Academic Medicine (2014)

"The Impact of the Changing Health Care Environment on the Health and Well-Being of Faculty at Four Medical Schools"
B.A. Schindler, D.H. Novack, D.G. Cohen, J. Yager, D. Wang, N.J. Shaheen, P. Guze, L. Wilkerson and D.A. Drossman
Academic Medicine, Vol. 81, No. 1 (January 2006)

"Respect from Our Medical Colleagues"
B.A. Schindler
American Journal of Psychiatry, 58 (7):1167-8, Letter to the Editor (July 2001)

"Designing and Implementing a Comprehensive, Integrated, Longitudinal Medical School Curriculum in Bio-psychosocial Medicine"
D.H. Novack, S.R. Waldstein, D.A. Drossman, B.A. Schindler and H. Ochitill
Medical Encounter, Volume 16, No.1 (Winter 2001)

"MCP-Hahnemann School of Medicine"
B.A. Schindler, B.D. Mann, C.D. Puglia, B.J. Landau and T.R. Kantner
Academic Medicine, Vol. 75, (9 Suppl):S310-2 (September 2000)


Contact Information


The Caring Together Program
4700 Wissahickon Avenue
Building C, Suite 102
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Phone: 215.967.2130
Fax: 215.967.2171