JoEllen “Ellen” Schimmels has been a certified educator since 2019 and has provided graduate-level education and leadership at prestigious institutions, including the University of New Mexico, Emory University, and the Uniformed Services University. Her teaching and leadership philosophy centers on empowering individuals and organizations to develop, implement, and sustain trauma-informed, evidence-based, and patient-centered environments. She was trained through Integrative Psychiatry Institute, University Psychedelic Education Program, Heroic Hearts Project, and is a therapist in the New Mexico Group Psilocybin Assisted Therapy (GPAT) program at UNM.

A nurse since 1998, Ellen brings more than two decades of experience spanning clinical practice, administration, academia, strategic leadership, and systems-level change. During more than 20 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army, she distinguished herself as an advocate, mentor, clinician, and change agent, advancing mental health care and strengthening systems across the Military Health System. She was selected to serve as the Psychiatric Nursing Consultant to the Army Surgeon General, a role in which she influenced policy, practice, workforce development, and organizational systems while advocating for safer, evidence-based approaches to mental health care.

Throughout her career, Ellen has championed the integration of evidence into clinical practice, education, and organizational policy. Her work has contributed to meaningful improvements in mental health services, professional practice, and psychologically and physically safer healthcare environments. A committed advocate for mental health, she has presented and published more than 100 times nationally, internationally, and locally on PTSD, anxiety disorders, psychedelics, substance use, suicide prevention, curriculum development, and innovative approaches to healthcare education.

Ellen is also recognized for her expertise in simulation-based education and her commitment to preparing clinicians to respond confidently and compassionately to complex mental health needs. For more than two decades, she has promoted trauma-informed practices and protective healthcare environments that prioritize safety, trust, dignity, and patient-centered care. Her ability to bridge clinical expertise, education, scholarship, and systems leadership distinguishes her as a transformative leader in psychiatric nursing and mental health education.