Helen Loeffler, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

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Helen joins CTSA as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner following a post-graduate program with Frontier Nursing University. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in Midwifery from Frontier in 2012. Her undergraduate training included a psychobiology BA from Swarthmore College (2004) and an accelerated BSN from Drexel University (2006).

Helen has worked in reproductive health for over a decade, including postpartum/newborn nursing, full-scope midwifery care, and nursing education. She holds a certification in Perinatal Mental Health through Postpartum International and is passionate about working with this population. In addition to reproductive psychiatry, she provides medical management for a range of conditions including mood disorders, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, and PTSD.

Helen transitioned to psychiatric nursing in response to the need she saw for comprehensive, compassionate mental health care. She uses her background in midwifery to be present with, listen to, and collaborate with clients. She values shared decision-making in an environment that trusts a client’s expertise in their own self. She sees medication as only one piece of a personalized approach to mental health, best used in combination with therapy and holistic wellness care.

A native of New Jersey, Helen and her family have lived in the Baltimore area since 2012. She keeps busy caring for her two elementary school-aged daughters and walking their rescue hound, Leia.

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Frances Onyilagha, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

She/her/hers

Frances joins CTSA  as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner working with clients across the lifespan. In 2014, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Colby College where she majored in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience. Thereafter, she began research in immunology before beginning her journey in nursing. In 2018 she graduated from an accelerated nursing program at Duke University where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Frances also completed her graduate studies with Duke University where she earned her Master’s of Science in Nursing.

Frances considers herself to be multi-cultural. After living in England, Nigeria, Canada, France, and finally the United States, she understands how strongly one’s culture, identity, and environment can impact one’s mental health. Her mission is to provide evidence-based culturally competent, individualized care. She believes in a collaborative approach to treatment; one that empowers individuals to take ownership of their mental wellness in hopes of achieving the quality of life they deserve. She believes that medication management is not a one-stop shop. Her approach is to build a strong foundation by attending to and addressing all areas of your life to build resiliency and a sense of purpose.

After retiring from travel nursing, Frances settled in Maryland in 2021. In her free time, she enjoys discovering new cultural cuisines in the DMV and spending time with her family and friends.

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