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Tamara Palka, MD

Tamara Palka, MD, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at CHKD

Phone: (757) 668-4673

Specialty:

Education

Medical School: Saba University School of Medicine

Residency: University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt

Fellowship: Maine Medical Center

Certification

American Board of Psychiatry

Child/Adolescent Psychiatry

Bio

Dr. Palka is a board-certified child psychiatrist and the medical director of the neurodevelopmental disorders unit at Children’s Pavilion. She relocated to CHKD from Maine, where she worked at Spring Harbor Hospital’s specialized unit for children with autism and developmental disorders since 2013. Prior to that she worked on two other specialized units, giving her an expertise in this field of medicine since there are only about 18-20 of these units in the United States.

Her passion for helping children with developmental disabilities was sparked when she volunteered at a summer camp for children with special needs during her high school years in Pennsylvania. She was an associate professor at Tufts/Maine Medical Center and enjoys mentoring and teaching medical students, residents, and fellows.

International volunteer work has been a very meaningful experience for Dr. Palka. One of her students even accompanied her on a volunteer trip to Nicaragua with the International Autism Outreach Project (IAOP) and is now helping to open a new specialized unit in the Northeast.

Dr. Palka also loves baking sweets and spending time with her family at Virginia Beach.

Additional Information

Research Areas

  • Autism
  • Graduate Education

Clinical Interests

  • Autism
  • Developmental Disorders

Awards and Honors

  • MITE (MMC Institute for Teacher Excellence) Scholar 

Professional Memberships

  • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
  • International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP)

Publications

Hayes, Vicki; Bing-You, Robert; Palka, Tamara; Ford, Marybeth D.; and Trowbridge, Robert Jr (2022) "A Four-Year Longitudinal Curriculum to Improve Feedback-Seeking Behaviors for Medical Students," Journal of Maine Medical Center: Vol. 4 : Iss. 1 , Article 6.

Behavioral Approaches to Managing Severe Problem Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum and Related Developmental Disorders- A Descriptive Analysis. Child Adolescent Psychiatric Clin N Am 23 (2014). Peter Doehring, Brian Reichow, Tamara Palka, Cara Phillips, Louis Hagopian.

Sleep Problems and Their Relationship to Maladaptive Behavior Severity in Psychiatrically Hospitalized Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders November 2018. Sannar EM, Palka T, Beresford C, Peura C, Kaplan D, Verdi M, Siegel M, Kaplan S, Grados M; Autism and Developmental Disorders Inpatient Research Collaborative (ADDIRC).

Refer to Our Mental Health Program

CHKD is working hard to build a Mental Health Program with care access opportunities for all children in need. We currently have a high volume of requests and partner with mental health agencies outside of CHKD to ensure all children referred receive an appropriate treatment resource. Find inpatient, outpatient, and partial hospitalization referral information here.

Inpatient, Outpatient, and Partial Hospitalization Referrals
Patient with providers in Children's Pavilion

Concerned About Your Child's Mental Health?

If you are concerned about your child's mental health, the best place to start is with your child's primary care pediatrician. Many of CHKD's pediatricians have completed advanced training in the management of disorders such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety.

Find a CHKD Pediatrician Near You