Melanie Pinkett-Davis, PhD, MSW, LCSW–C, HEC-C
Assistant Vice President, Clinical Services
Kennedy Krieger Institute
707 North Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21205
About
Dr. Melanie Pinkett-Davis is the assistant vice president of Clinical Services at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Clinical disciplines under her direction include Assistive Technology, Audiology, Social Work, Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. Dr. Pinkett-Davis also serves as the vice chair of the Institute’s Ethics Committee. Dr. Pinkett-Davis has over twenty years of experience has a licensed clinical social worker. Dr. Pinkett-Davis has served in leadership roles within the organization throughout the organization for nearly two decades. More recently, Dr. Pinkett-Davis passed the Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified (HEC-C) exam. The HEC-C designation demonstrates Dr. Pinkett-Davis’ knowledge, skill and expertise in providing healthcare ethics consultation services for individuals facing uncertainties or ethics related conflicts in the healthcare setting.
Education
Dr. Pinkett-Davis attended Morgan State University, where she received her bachelor’s of science degree in Psychology. She then continued her education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work with a clinical concentration, a secondary concentration in management and community organizations, a health specialization and a sub-specialization in child, adolescent and family health. During her graduate training, she completed two Maternal and Child Health-sponsored master’s level LEND field placements within the Institute. She later completed a doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University.
Pinkett-Davis' career at Kennedy Krieger Institute began in 1999. At that time, she worked within the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program as a behavior data specialist. Working in this interdisciplinary role provided her with an intimate understanding of the comprehensive needs of children with a wide range of developmental disabilities. After completing her graduate studies, she started her career as a clinical social worker in the Institute's Child and Family Support Center and Early Childhood Development and Education Center (formerly PACT) providing clinical services in both the home and community settings. Dr. Pinkett-Davis later transitioned into a new role as the coordinator of Psychiatric Services with the previously named Outpatient Psychiatry Program, now the Center for Developmental Behavioral Health. Dr. Pinkett-Davis’ time in this setting enabled her to further develop an enhanced knowledge of the administrative/business needs of outpatient clinics. In 2009, Dr. Pinkett-Davis transitioned to become a full time senior social worker in the Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™, formerly known as the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, or CARD) where she held multiple leadership roles. Dr. Pinkett-Davis went on to serve as the director, Clinical Operations in CASSI for a decade. Under Dr. Pinkett-Davis’ leadership, clinical services in the program expanded notably. In 2021, Dr. Pinkett-Davis became the assistant vice president, Clinical Services.
Dr. Pinkett-Davis has served as a field instructor for graduate and undergraduate social work and other mental health students from the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Social Work, McDaniel College, Salisbury University, Coppin State University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She greatly enjoys educating and mentoring trainees and other professionals. She has received extensive training in providing mental health treatment in the areas of attachment-based disorders, individuals with anxiety disorder and families from culturally diverse backgrounds. Her special interests include family adaptation to receiving an autism spectrum diagnosis, collaboration within the interdisciplinary process, cultural diversity and working with community partners to advocate for early identification/early intervention for children with developmental delays. Dr. Pinkett-Davis is also interested in patient access to care, health care ethics, and leading with compassion and empathy. She has been nominated for the Institute’s William Hersey Service Award for several years. In 2004, she received the Tom Stengel Award of Excellence in honor of her dedication and service to families. Dr. Pinkett-Davis was selected as one of 26 participants for the inaugural cohort completing an Online Fellowship Certificate Program at Harvard Medical School. The cohort consists of fellows from a wide variety of professional and academic backgrounds representing seven countries.
Research Summary
Dr. Pinkett-Davis’ research interests align with her professional experience in the areas of serving children with developmental disabilities, organizational leadership, and access to patient care. She is committed to supporting knowledge translation to support the continued expansion of evidence informed care within the organization. Dr. Pinkett-Davis is also interested in advancing understanding of the impact of remote work on leadership styles, management approaches, and employee engagement.
Research Publications
Azad, G. F., Singh, V., Kalb, L., Pinkett-Davis, M., & Landa, R. (2019). Child and Family Characteristics that Predict Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialty Clinic Appointment Attendance and Alignment with Providers. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04027-8
Kalb, L., Jacobson, L., Zisman, C., Mahone, E., Landa, R., Azad, G., Pinkett-Davis, M., Menon, D., Singh, V., Zabel, A., & Pritchard, A. (2019). Interest in Research Participation among Caregivers of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 49(9), 3786-3797. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10803-019-04088-9
Pinkett-Davis, M. (2023). Perception of Telework Models on Leadership Styles, Management Approaches, & Employee Engagement in a Tertiary-Level Patient Health-Care Facility. (Publication No. 31144819) [Doctoral dissertation, Columbia International University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. https://www.proquest.com/docview/3043177316?sourcetype=Dissertations%20&%20Theses
Singh, V., Pinkett-Davis, M., Kalb, L., Azad, G., Neely, J., & Landa, R. (2019) A Preliminary Study of Care Coordination Services within a Specialized Outpatient Setting for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Care Coordination https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2053434519893659