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About Dr. Charles Sophy |
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Dr. Charles Sophy has dedicated his life to the physical and mental well-being of children and families from all walks of life. He is board certified in three clinical specialties: Adult Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Family Practice. He currently serves as the Medical Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the nation’s largest Child Welfare System. As Medical Director, Dr. Sophy is responsible for directing the physical and mental health, as well as assisting in ensuring the safety, of over 40,000 foster care children. In addition to his county position, Dr. Sophy maintains a private practice in Los Angeles and is a clinical instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles Neuro-Psychiatric Institute. The remainder of his time is spent lecturing across the country to various healthcare professionals, medical students, social workers and parents. |
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Dr. Sophy's guest appearances on national television include "Larry King Live," "The Today Show", "The Rachael Ray Show" and PBS' "A Place Of Our Own". His radio work includes guest spots on "Dr. Drew LIVE", "Yo on E!", "Conway & Whitman" and "Let's Talk Adoption". He has been quoted in The LA Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and The Chicago Tribune, and he has been both interviewed and published in major magazines, including “Parents”, “Men’s Health” “Family Circle” and “Redbook”. He is the recipient of the 2002 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award, given by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). Dr. Sophy’s work at DCFS has been particularly rewarding to his fundamental mission to protect and care for our nation’s most vulnerable children. Over the last several years, Dr. Sophy has created a system that has collaboratively implemented and sustained the standardization of child welfare’s health and mental health programs. Specifically, Dr. Sophy’s vision allows all children entering the child welfare system to have a standardized entry exam (forensic and/or routine) conducted by a forensic pediatric expert. Additionally, upon their entry, these children receive an age appropriate mental health screening to assess their level of need, both from a medical and mental health perspective. Both of these crucial services assist a child in following a well-defined path to permanence and safety while under county care, as well as aid in decreasing recidivism rates. In terms of severe mental health disorders in the child welfare system, Dr. Sophy has restructured portions of the system of Los Angeles County to ensure greater care. As such, children diagnosed with and/or medicated for a mental health disorder receive a periodic reassessment that allows them to be unencumbered from labels, inappropriate medications and other hindrances to their ultimate wellbeing. |
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