Dr. Ricardo W. is a board-certified psychiatrist with subspecialty training in Addiction Psychiatry and over 20 years of clinical experience across a wide range of psychiatric practice environments. He has provided care to more than 20,000 patients in inpatient, emergency, outpatient, and community-based settings and currently serves as Section Chief of Psychiatry for a 74-bed behavioral health service within a large community hospital in Southern California. Dr. Ricardo W.’s clinical career spans acute inpatient psychiatry, emergency department consultation, addiction psychiatry, and integrated behavioral health within hospital systems. He has held multiple leadership roles, including Medical Director and Section Chief, with responsibilities encompassing clinical oversight, quality improvement, compliance, and service line development. In these roles, he has led multidisciplinary teams and managed high-acuity psychiatric populations while maintaining a strong commitment to patient safety and evidence-based care. Throughout his career, Dr. Ricardo W. has worked extensively with interdisciplinary teams, collaborating closely with nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, therapists, nursing leadership, and social services. He has significant experience supervising advanced practice providers, trainees, and fellows, and is recognized for his strengths in mentorship, education, and systems-based practice improvement. Areas of Expertise • Inpatient psychiatry (acute adult and geriatric populations) • Emergency department psychiatric consultation • Addiction psychiatry and chemical dependency treatment • Substance use disorders and dual diagnosis care • Mood and anxiety disorders • Suicide risk assessment, safety planning, and crisis stabilization • Trauma-informed psychiatric care • Psychopharmacology and complex medication management • Integrated behavioral health within hospital systems • Quality improvement and performance improvement initiatives • Medical leadership, compliance, and regulatory oversight • Supervision and mentorship of nurse practitioners and interdisciplinary teams Philosophy of Collaboratio: Dr. Ricardo W. believes that the physician–nurse practitioner relationship functions best as a true clinical partnership built on mutual respect, trust, and shared responsibility for patient outcomes. His collaborative philosophy emphasizes open communication, clear escalation pathways for high-risk clinical situations, and timely availability for consultation on complex or high-acuity cases. He strongly supports NP autonomy within scope of practice while providing reliable physician backup for diagnostic complexity, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation. Dr. Ricardo W. values regular case review, ongoing mentorship, and skills development, and strives to create psychologically safe environments where nurse practitioners feel confident asking questions and exercising clinical judgment. A strong advocate for NP-led practice models, Dr. Ricardo W. is committed to helping nurse practitioners build sustainable, compliant, and clinically excellent practices. His collaborative approach focuses on guidance and mentorship rather than control, allowing NPs to practice at the top of their license while delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. His personal connection to the NP profession further informs his collaborative style, reinforcing his role as a dependable clinical partner, strategic advisor, and professional ally.

Board Certifications

Psychiatry