We are proud to share that Dr. Siu Ping Chin Feman, Eliot’s Medical Director of Homeless Services, has been named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association by the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society—an honor reserved for psychiatrists who have made exceptional contributions to the profession.
In her reflection below, Dr. Chin Feman shares the personal and professional journey that led her to psychiatry, to Eliot, and to her ongoing mission of supporting people as they heal from trauma and transition out of homelessness.
Read her full statement below.
I am honored to be selected by Massachusetts Psychiatric Society (MPS) as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Per the APA, this is the highest honor APA bestows upon members, and is awarded to psychiatrists who have made significant contributions to the psychiatric profession.
This honor has led me to reflect on my path to psychiatry, and to Eliot. As my fifteenth reunion from Tulane University School of Medicine approaches, I recall the four years I spent in New Orleans, arriving less than a year after Hurricane Katrina. Living in a community recovering from disaster, I first understood that my mission is to support people as they endure and recover from trauma. Through many rotations (including one at Cook County Jail!), I learned that psychiatry was a natural way for me to further my mission.
From New Orleans, I moved back home to Massachusetts, completing residency at the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training program. My community psychiatry rotation was changed at the last minute to St. Francis House (SFH). This switch was pivotal, as it was my first experience caring for people experiencing homelessness, in a specialized setting. From there, I completed a fellowship in addictions psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital, which better equipped me to be able to care for unhoused people, many of whom suffer from substance use disorders.
My work with Eliot began in 2015, where I served as the psychiatrist at Worcester’s Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Program (HOAP). While there, I did outreach for the next five years with Eliot’s Central Massachusetts outreach team, which was embedded at HOAP.
In 2021, I leapt at the opportunity to become the first Medical Director of Homeless Services at Eliot. I am incredibly fortunate that Eliot fosters my mission to support people as they recover from trauma and transition out of homelessness. My team not only provides direct outreach and care, but also is at the forefront of developing and implementing novel approaches to transitional and permanent supportive housing.
For me, there is no greater fulfillment than helping someone along their journey of recovery, and there is no other place I would rather do this work than at Eliot.