The Forge School is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Cassandra Simms, MD to the leadership team.  Dr. Simms is board certified in Adult and Child/Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  She will serve onsite at The Forge School as the Psychiatric Service Director and will oversee and provide psychiatric care to the students on a full-time basis.

Dr. Simms received her medical degree from the University of Kentucky in 1999, completing her Psychiatry Residency and Child/Adolescent Fellowship at the University of South Carolina. During her residency, she served on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Residency Selection Committee, and was chosen to be Chief Resident for the Child & Adolescent Fellowship Program.

Dr. Simms is thrilled to be able to not only work with the young men in the program but also closely with their families. Dr. Simms stated, “I am overjoyed and truly blessed to be a part of The Forge School. I intend for my passion and love for what I do to be a strong contributing factor to the school’s mission and vision.  I’m thankful to have this opportunity to work collaboratively with our affected youth and their families to create acceptance and security within their relationships and help reduce the stigma of mental illness in our society.”

Dr. Simms has served the greater Chattanooga community for the past 17 years in both a clinical and academic capacity. During this time she developed a passion for treating children and adolescents in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Notably, in 2009, Dr. Simms became a faculty member with the University of Tennessee School of Medicine where she served as preceptor for medical students for a portion of their psychiatry rotation. In August 2015, Dr. Simms opened an outpatient private practice in Chattanooga, Tennessee providing psychiatric and therapeutic services to children and adolescents.

Dr. Simms will work closely with Clinical Director Josh Nordean, LPC. “We are so fortunate to be able to work with Dr. Simms. She brings a strength and compassion to her work with the boys that allows them to feel cared for while also challenged and held accountable for their actions. She seeks to find that perfect balance between supporting them through medications but also allowing them to take ownership of their healing. She is truly a great partner to work alongside our other departments and helping to create Maverick Joy with our boys and families.”

About the Forge School

The Forge School is an emboldened residential treatment center and school developed in response to the neurobiological needs of boys and young men. At The Forge School we combine the immersion of extraordinary outdoor experiences, empathetic and attuned individual and family counseling, and exceptional educational rigor to help build greatness beyond an education. The Forge School also aims to reconnect boys to their bodies through meditation, yoga, mindfulness, fitness, and healthy nutrition.