Kenya J. Ballard, BSN, MSN, APRN has been practicing in the field of nursing for 33 years.  She initially obtained her Diploma of Nursing at Los Angeles County School of Nursing.  Afterwards she spent time as a traveling nurse gaining a wide variety of experience.  She then obtained her BSN from The University of Massachusetts at Boston.   After working in inner city emergency departments, level 1 trauma centers and surgical/trauma/neuro-intensive care units; Kenya became a flight nurse spending 8 years at CareFlite in Dallas Texas.  During this time she treated and transported severely injured and critically ill patients.  Kenya has also been an educator.  As part of her degree plan she taught violence prevention to high school sophomores at South Boston High School.  At CareFlite she went on to be the Clinical Educator and held a position of Faculty at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Emergency Education.  She taught paramedics for 12 fire departments, which included field supervision as well.  Kenya went on to complete a Masters of Science in Nursing degree at The University of Texas at Arlington.  She has practiced in general psychiatry, state mental health clinics, pain management, geriatrics, and served long term care, assisted living facilities and domiciles.  She has expertise in the treatment of schizophrenia, complex bipolar disorder, treatment resistant depression, anxiety spectrum disorders, dementias, personality disorders, head injuries, pain, addictions, buprenorphine waiver and other psychiatric conditions.  She is Board certified in psychiatry as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse