Bela Sood, MD, FAACAP

Dr. Sood was appointed by Governor Warner to the State Board of Social Services for a four year term in June 2005 and by Governor Tim Kaine as the mental health expert to the blue ribbon panel that investigated the VA Tech massacre of 2007. She serves on two statewide initiatives for systems of care reform in child mental health and early intervention programs in Virginia, and champions involvement of families in the development of child mental health policy.

She has advocated for initiatives of the VA Council Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and lobbied for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Work Force initiative in Washington, DC and nationally. She was elected councilor-at-large for the AACAP's Executive Council in 2005 for a three year term and is currently secretary-elect. Dr. Sood received the YWCA award for women in sciences in 2007, the Professional Achievement award from WISDM in 2007, the VCU University Distinguished Service Award in 2008 and the Heroes in the Fight Award from Lilly for distinguished work in child mental health. She received the Distinguished Outstanding International Medical Graduate award at the APA's Presidential Symposium on IMGs in May 2013.

Dr. Sood has special interests in the reduction of stigma around mental health issues, outcomes research, mood disorders, ADHD and the training of an adequate work force in child mental health. She is passionate about providing optimal mental health care to the children of Virginia, focusing on innovation of technology such as telemedicine, to bring care to rural areas of the state.

In addition to her clinical education, Dr. Sood is a 2002 Fellow of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) through Drexel University and completed a Masters of Science in Health Administration through the Health Administration Program at VCU in May 2006.

She’s also committed to improving the mental health and well-being of kids across the globe and collaborated with peers on her latest publication, "Social Justice for Children and Young People."