Dr. Juee Phalak.

About Dr. Phalak.

Dr. Juee Phalak is a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist and the 2025 Excellence in the Field of Mental Health Awardee. As the Director of Behavioral Health at Affinia Healthcare, Dr. Phalak oversees services and sets quality standards across seven locations, including the Child Development Center.

She has been a driving force for integrating behavioral health care into primary medical care services at Affinia to help increase access, reduce stigma and ensure a holistic approach to patient care. Her work overseeing the Behavioral Health team impacts more than 2,000 patients each year, 68% of whom are Black/African American and 83% of whom are uninsured or Medicaid recipients.

Outside of her work at Affinia, Dr. Phalak actively works to build awareness of mental health in the St. Louis region. She has served as a panelist on the “Starting a Conversation” initiative by the Gateway Regional YMCA and has made media appearances to discuss regional challenges and inequities in mental health care for adolescents.

Dr. Phalak is also a member of the Board of Directors for Behavior Health Network of Greater St. Louis and the Executive Board for the Regional Organization of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

In the words of the nominator.

“Dr. Phalak’s passion for interdisciplinary, culturally responsive and collaborative care for the behavioral health needs of children, as well as integration of behavioral health with other healthcare disciplines, removes barriers including access to care, stigma, duplication of services, and financial burdens to patients. Her work is compassionate, responsive to community and individual needs, effective and sustainable.”