AVAPL Executive Committee

Megan McCarthy, Ph,D., AVAPL President-Elect 

PRESIDENT
Megan McCarthy, Ph.D.

Megan McCarthy serves as the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health in the Birmingham VA Health Care System. During her career, Dr. McCarthy has held roles in San Francisco VA HCS, VA Northern California HCS, and the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in VA Central Office, and has focused her efforts on building and implementing robust evidence-based mental health and suicide prevention care. She has special interests in training, advocacy, and expanding lethal means safety initiatives for suicide prevention.
 
Dr. McCarthy received a B.A. from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. She interned at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and completed fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She is excited to serve AVAPL’s Executive Committee – and the vibrant group of psychologists it represents! – and to advance its mission of supporting and recognizing VA psychology, and the care we provide to Veterans.

Jennifer Presnall-Shvorin, Ph.D. 

President-Elect
Jennifer Presnall-Shvorin, Ph.D.

Jennifer Presnall-Shvorin, Ph.D., is the Primary Care—Mental Health Integration Program Manager and Chair of the Disruptive Behavior Committee at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System. She also currently serves as the chair of the Multicultural Diversity Subcommittee of the Bay Pines VA Psychology Training Committee. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky, where her research focused on assessment of personality disorders from the Five-Factor Model perspective. She completed her clinical internship in the PTSD track at VA Connecticut, West Haven. During her postdoctoral fellowship with the War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) at VA New Jersey HCS (East Orange, NJ) she contributed to a clinical research study of Problem Solving Treatment for Gulf War Illness. She was previously the president of the Early Career division of the New York State Psychological Association and the chair of AVAPL Early Career Psychologists SIG. 

MIchael Martin, Ph.D.

Past President
Michael Martin, Ph.D.

Mike Martin, Ph.D. has been the Psychology Executive at the Atlanta VA Healthcare System since 2014 and is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Emory University School of Medicine. He previously served as a General Mental Health Program Manager, Director of Psychology Training, and first Director of the PCMHI program at the Atlanta VA, among other duties. He holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Auburn University and completed his internship in 1998-1999 at the Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System in Tuskegee, Alabama. He holds a BA in Psychology from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He returned to the VA system in 2007 after having worked as a rehabilitation and neuropsychologist in a state rehabilitation hospital and working as the clinical director of a residential crisis unit in community mental health. In 2021 he received an APA Presidential Citation from President Jennifer Kelly. He Chaired the VA Psychology Leadership Conference Planning Committee in 2018 and 2019. In 2012 he received the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences Young Alumnus of the Year Award from Marquette University. He is active with AVAPL as a mentor and he is a member of the Mentorship Committee. Dr. Martin is passionate about advancing the field of psychology in the VA and especially about increasing representation among psychologists from traditionally under-represented groups.

Mary T. Dorritie, Ph.D. 

Secretary
Mary T. Dorritie, Ph.D

Mary T. Dorritie, Ph.D. is currently a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Manager, Trauma Recovery Clinic supervisor, Women’s Mental Health Champion, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy National Consultant at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Previous positions include Acting Team Lead of the PTSD program, Chief of the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program, and CBOC Mental Health Program Manager, at the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, FL. She is the Co-Chair of the AVAPL Women in Leadership SIG, and is a past conference Poster Committee chair. She completed her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Buffalo. She served as an Active Duty Army psychologist from 2002-2008, including a combat deployment to Iraq.

Nicole Shiber, Psy.D., Treasurer

Treasurer
Nicole Shiber, Psy.D.

Nicole Shiber is the Psychology Program Manager for Recovery, Research, and Outreach and Local Recovery Coordinator (LRC) at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida. She has been in the LRC role since 2007 and continues to lead within the national LRC community as a LRC Community Executive Liaison, coordinator of the LRC Mentoring Program, and faculty for the annual LRC Boot Camp. Dr. Shiber also administratively supervises a team of WOC and full-time employed Peer Specialists and together they support Veterans seeking state certification by providing training and other supports. She holds a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Indiana State University and completed her predoctoral internship in 2002-2003 at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Her experience consistently aligns with her generalist training and the assessment and treatment of individuals with serious mental illness and dual diagnosis. Dr. Shiber has served as the Outreach and Hospitality subcommittee lead for the VAPLC and as Co-chair of the AVAPL Women in Leadership SIG. She has great passion for advocacy and furthering the field of psychology and strongly believes in AVAPL as an important professional community for psychologists serving the mission of the VA.