New DHS Medical Director to Provide Clinical Oversight
ATLANTA – Alka Aneja, M.D., a board certified adult and adolescent psychiatrist, has been named Medical Director of the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS). In this role she will be responsible for providing medical direction and clinical oversight of reviews for cases handled by the Department. She most recently served as an Assistant Professor at John Hopkins University School of Medicine for the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
“It’s been my goal since becoming Commissioner at DHS to hire a Medical Director that would provide expertise to staff within the Divisions of Aging and Family and Children Services,” said DHS Commissioner Clyde Reese. “The Department is fortunate to have Dr. Aneja to help with the safe keeping of Georgia’s most vulnerable populations.”
Dr. Aneja will consult the Division of Aging Services (DAS) on medical decisions for wards and cases involving medical neglect. She will also assist in the review of Serious Incident Reports pertaining to medical issues for Community Care Service Program (CCSP) consumers in alternative living situations. Her work with the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) will focus on the over utilization of psychotropic medications among foster children in state custody – a topic of growing concern among Georgia’s elected officials and youth advocates. She will also assist in the review of child abuse and neglect cases, and in developing policies and implementing best practices.
Dr. Aneja has over 18 years of experience in the medical field managing and providing services to children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Aneja’s career began in 1994 as a Resident Intern at Lok Nayaki Jai Prakash Narain Hospital. She earned her Bachelor’s of Medicine & Bachelor’s of Surgery from the University of Dehli and her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Western Carolina University. She received her fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at John Hopkins University School of Medicine. She has participated in research and published extensively in the area of Autism and other psychiatric disorders.