If you were to ask Dr. Laine Taylor about her job and if she likes it, her response would be “I have the best job in the world! I get to play for a living.” That is her approach and experience with every aspect of what she does. Whether doing play therapy on the floor with a 4-year-old or in a meeting with executives, creativity and enjoyment for herself and those involved is both important and will yield the best results. Her position at The Village as Chief Medical Officer gives her the ability to engage with kids and families directly, while also thinking about how systems or programs can work to improve lives and our community.
Dr. Taylor’s primary role at The Village is oversight and support for the Psychiatry department and for all programs that involve psychiatry. Additionally, she collaborates with other departments, outside organizations, state agencies, and stakeholders to ensure that The Village remains a center of clinical excellence through upholding its values and innovating to achieve its mission.
Prior to working at The Village for Families and Children, she was assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center and worked on the child psychiatric inpatient service for seven years. While these years played a large role in shaping her high standard of clinical care and compassionate style of patient engagement, she has a diverse background that influences her view of the world and of herself. Dr. Taylor was born in Los Angeles, CA, but has lived all over the country. Her environment made learning Spanish a priority and, while it is not her first language, she has developed these skills such that she is able to perform therapy and other therapeutic services with children and families whose first language is Spanish. As a Young Black Woman, she was empowered to enter medicine through her education at a Historically Black University, Xavier University of Louisiana and went on to Missouri for medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. While in medical school, she also obtained her Master’s Degree in Business-Healthcare Leadership concentration. She completed general psychiatry residency at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Finally, she completed her Child and Adolescent Fellowship at The Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, CT. Her career has spanned working with CT Department of Corrections, adult psychiatric services, child and adolescent psychiatry, and in integrated care with primary care practices. This diversity of experiences informs her work with patients, how she views systems of care, and the importance of building resilience in the community.
Dr. Taylor’s vision for The Village is that it is not only an organization that delivers the best mental health care, but that its foundation in the community strengthens and uplifts each community member. The Village is a place of healing and empowerment.
What quote best captures your personal philosophy?
“If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”- Toni Morrison
What is something unexpected that most people don’t know about you?
My father is a comedian. I grew up writing and doing routines with him for fun in the streets of L.A. I sold a joke at age 8.
What do you most want clients of The Village to know about you?
Ethics and my personal morals guide my decisions. Even if it is a hard choice to make, I am driven to do what is right.