The Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) recently announced the selection of four child and adolescent psychiatry trainees who will serve as chief residents and fellows for the upcoming academic year. As of June 1, 2025, Emily Behling, MD, will assume the role of deputy chief for the Albert J. Solnit Integrated Program, with Max Rolison, MD, serving as chief resident for the same program. Within the YCSC Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) Fellowship, Alayna Freeman, MD, has been named chief fellow for the Yale New Haven track, and Savion Smith, MD, as chief fellow for the Solnit South track.
Selection as a chief resident or fellow is a distinguished honor and a longstanding tradition that reflects the leadership, professionalism, and clinical excellence of senior trainees. Chiefs are chosen by program leadership in collaboration with faculty and peers to serve as key liaisons between trainees, faculty, and administration. In their roles, they contribute meaningfully to the ongoing development of the training programs, foster community among their peers, and uphold the high standards of the YCSC.
“The chief year is a formative experience, offering invaluable insight into administrative psychiatry, medical education, and systems-level leadership,” shared Training Program Administrator Karen Franchi. “It is also an opportunity for personal and professional growth as these individuals take on complex responsibilities in the service of their colleagues and the broader training community. We congratulate Drs. Behling, Rolison, Freeman, and Smith on their appointments and look forward to their leadership in the year ahead,” she added. Learn more about the newly selected chief residents and fellows in the following bios.
Emily Behling, MD, grew up in rural northeastern Connecticut and earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences as well as her medical degree from the University of Connecticut. Prior to entering medical school, Behling worked as a mental health worker on the inpatient adolescent psychiatry unit at Natchaug Hospital. She became involved in clinical and research work at the YCSC during her medical training. She conducts research in the laboratory of Michael Bloch, MD, and is involved clinically at the Yale Tic Disorder/OCD Clinic. Her research interests involve using advanced meta-analytic techniques and clinical trials to improve the understanding and pharmacological treatments of conditions affecting children and adults including Tourette syndrome, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders.
Alayna Freeman, MD, earned her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. She received her bachelor’s degree at Xavier University of Louisiana. During that time, she commissioned into the United States Air Force, and she continues to serve as an active-duty military officer. During her graduate training, Freeman completed internship and residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Her professional interests include substance use disorders in adolescence, adjustment disorders in the context of military trauma, trauma-informed care for African American children and families, and separation-individuation coping.
Max Rolison, MD, earned a bachelor’s degree with distinction in psychology (neuroscience) from Yale University and a medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. Rolison previously worked as a Sara S. Sparrow Fellow in Clinical Neuroscience in the McPartland Lab and Developmental Disabilities Clinic at the YCSC. Since a young age, he has been interested in the care of children and teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He has worked for many years with children with autism and other neurodevelopment disorders and their families. Rolison's research has focused on understanding the neurobiological bases of ASD through electroencephalogram, eye-tracking, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. He aims to apply our knowledge of biomarkers in autism to develop better treatments and best individualize treatment interventions.
Savion Smith, MD, was born in Phoenix, Ariz. He completed his adult psychiatry residency at the University of Arizona-Tucson, his medical degree at the University of Arizona-Phoenix, his bachelor's degree in mathematics at Arizona State University, and his premed postbaccalaureate certification at Washington University in St. Louis. During his medical education and training, he enjoyed various volunteer and shadowing opportunities, including assisting in providing care at St. Louis Crisis Nursery and In Balance Academy. Smith has found fulfillment in supporting youth in various settings, including during his six years as a YMCA swim coach in addition to many years of tutoring, counseling, and volunteering in Title 1 school districts. Clinically, he is interested in school-based mental health, psychotherapy, and trauma.
The YCSC, which serves as the Department of Child Psychiatry for the Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health System, has been serving families through the integration of evidence-based clinical practice, training, and research for over 100 years. The department’s CAP Fellowship is a two-year program for physicians who have completed their general psychiatry residency training. The Albert J. Solnit Integrated Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry Program is an integrated training program designed to address the unique challenges of residents who desire both research and child psychiatry training, and to create leaders in the field of child psychiatry.