Our facility is fully operational. However, all in-person visitation and our Family F.I.R.S.T. Program is temporarily suspended. We strongly encourage you to stay connected to your loved one through FaceTime, Skype or through the phone. Family and Friends are also welcome to drop off belongings. Arrangements can be made with the unit directly by calling 610-480-8919.
Call Now: 610-480-8919 Online Bill Pay
Malvern Behavioral Health
Close Mobile Menu
  • About
    • About
    • Treatment Approach
    • Treatment Schedule
    • Meet the Team
    • Resources & Events
  • Treatment Programs
    • Young Adult: Lotus Program
    • LGBTQ+ Community : Wisteria Program
    • Co-Occurring Disorders : Sage Program
  • Admissions
    • Admissions
    • Admission Process
    • Insurance & Payment
    • Professional Referrals
  • Patients & Families
    • Patients & Families
    • Visiting
    • Services Dedicated to Supporting Families
    • Messages of Hope
    • Patient Satisfaction Scores
    • FAQs
    • Resources
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Request Medical Records
  • Careers
  • About
    • Treatment Approach
    • Treatment Schedule
    • Meet the Team
    • Resources & Events
  • Treatment Programs
    • Young Adult: Lotus Program
    • LGBTQ+ Community : Wisteria Program
    • Co-Occurring Disorders: Sage Program
  • Admissions
    • Admission Process
    • Mental Health Self-Assessment
    • Insurance & Payments
    • Professional Referrals
  • Patients & Families
    • Visiting
    • Services Dedicated to Supporting Families
    • Messages of Hope
    • Alumni Testimonials
    • Patient Satisfaction Scores
    • FAQs
    • Resources
  • Contact Us
    • Request Medical Records
  • Careers

Meet the Team

Malvern Behavioral Health takes a multidisciplinary approach to behavioral health treatment services.

Our Leadership team is comprised of experienced, passionate, and talented behavioral health professionals with a common goal of delivering life-changing care to young adults, their families, and loved ones.

Picture of Autumn DeShields who is the Chief Executive Officer at Malvern Behavioral Health.
Close Modal
Picture of Autumn DeShields who is the Chief Executive Officer at Malvern Behavioral Health.

Autumn DeShieldsChief Executive Officer

Autumn DeShields is the Executive Director of Malvern Behavioral Health. She was instrumental in the design of the unit, recruitment of our experienced team and overall logistics. In her role, Autumn is responsible for managing the daily operations of the facility while ensuring patient safety and providing patients with the highest quality clinical care.

Autumn joined Malvern Institute in May 2019. She is an experienced behavioral health administrator with a record of progressive leadership experience in the Philadelphia Market.

Autumn is a registered nurse who has worked in behavioral health for over 10 years. She has worked with multiple patient populations including acute, geriatric, adolescent, dual diagnosis, and eating disorder.

Autumn’s clinical knowledge has led her to hold multiple leadership roles including Nurse Manager, Assistant Director of Nursing, and Chief Nursing Officer at local Philadelphia Hospitals.

Autumn DeShields

Chief Executive Officer

Picture of Dr Frances Aledo who is the Medical Director of the Lotus and Wisteria Programs at Malvern Behavioral Health.
Close Modal
Picture of Dr Frances Aledo who is the Medical Director of the Lotus and Wisteria Programs at Malvern Behavioral Health.

Dr. Frances AledoMedical Director, Lotus and Wisteria Programs

Dr. Frances Aledo joined the Malvern Health team in March 2022.

Dr. Aledo graduated from the School of Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico. She did her psychiatric training at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA, where she also served as Chief Resident. She completed her Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the Institute for Juvenile Research of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Aledo is Board Certified in General Psychiatry and in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

She brings experience working in inpatient, outpatient, emergency psychiatry, partial hospital programs, and community psychiatry. Dr. Aledo will be responsible for the psychiatric oversight of our inpatient psychiatric young adult and LGBTQ programs.

Dr. Frances Aledo

Medical Director, Lotus and Wisteria Programs

Picture of Dr Jeffrey Simon who is the Medical Director of the Sage Program at Malvern Behavioral Health.
Close Modal
Picture of Dr Jeffrey Simon who is the Medical Director of the Sage Program at Malvern Behavioral Health.

Jeffrey Simon, MDMedical Director, Sage Program

Dr. Simon is a triple trained physician who completed his general and adult psychiatry residency at the LSU/Ochsner Medical Center during Post Katrina New Orleans, where he was one of few psychiatrists who remained in New Orleans at a time when psychiatric care was among the most needed specialties of medicine during the crisis that spanned several years.

Dr. Simon then completed his Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at The Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, NY, and Rutgers University/UMDNJ. Rounding out his training and education, Dr. Simon went on to complete his Fellowship in Addiction Medicine and Psychiatry at the Dartmouth-Geisel School of Medicine.

This unique and comprehensive training has prepared him to meet the current complex needs of treating children, adolescents, and adults who are experiencing acute and chronic issues such as depression and anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress issues, complex mood disorders, and substance use disorders.

Jeffrey Simon, MD

Medical Director, Sage Program

Picture of Anne Marie Esposito who is the Clinical Director at Malvern Behavioral Health.
Close Modal
Picture of Anne Marie Esposito who is the Clinical Director at Malvern Behavioral Health.

Anne Marie EspositoChief Operating Officer

Annemarie Esposito joined our team in September 2019. She has been instrumental in the development of Malvern’s Clinical Program. Specialties include evidence-based practices, failure to launch, vaping, and addictions related to substance, gaming, and screen time.

Annemarie is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has extensive clinical experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families as a family and individual therapist, supervisor, and team leader. She has held various clinical roles in family-based case management and outpatient programs, as well as providing intensive treatment in multiple residential settings to adolescents with sexual behavior problems. Annemarie has expertise in working with survivors of sexual trauma, violence prevention, and juvenile probation, and has extensive experience providing services to individuals struggling with PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, and substance abuse/dependence. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from West Chester University and received her certification in elementary education in 1998. Annemarie completed her graduate studies at West Chester University and received a Master of Education degree with specialization in higher education and elementary education counseling in 2003. She obtained her license in Professional Counseling in 2009.

Anne Marie Esposito

Chief Operating Officer

Photo of Gladys Paaswwe who is the Nurse Manager at Malvern Behavioral Health.
Close Modal
Photo of Gladys Paaswwe who is the Nurse Manager at Malvern Behavioral Health.

Gladys PaaswweNurse Manager

Gladys Paasewe is Malvern Behavioral Health's Nurse Manager. She is a bachelor’s prepared Registered Nurse with 12 years of psychiatric experience. Prior to Malvern Behavioral Health, Gladys worked as a Charge Nurse at Temple Episcopal Hospital and as a Nurse Manager and Nursing Supervisor at Friends Hospital in Philadelphia. In her previous roles, she was tasked with the daily operations of multiple inpatient units, along with a Crisis Center, which included crisis prevention and management as well as staff and patient education. During that time, she was recognized as a dedicated, ambitious, and reliable healthcare provider which she continues to be. Gladys has a passion for providing quality care to patients, and the leadership skills to inspire other staff to strive to provide optimal service to our patients.

Gladys Paaswwe

Nurse Manager

Photo of Ashley Gray who is a therapist at Malvern Behavioral Health.
Close Modal
Photo of Ashley Gray who is a therapist at Malvern Behavioral Health.

Ashley GrayTherapist

Ashley Gray works as a Therapist at Malvern Behavioral Health. Ashley has prior experience working as a Therapeutic Support for individuals with behavior disorders such as Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and as a Family-Based Therapist in Philadelphia.

She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Arizona State University, and received her Masters in Education for Secondary and Elementary School Counseling at Wilmington University.

Ashley enjoys learning from and working with young adults as they navigate through their mental health needs, and believes in team work in creating positive life changes.

Ashley Gray

Therapist

Photo of Clara Peretz who is a Therapist at Malvern Behavioral Health.
Close Modal
Photo of Clara Peretz who is a Therapist at Malvern Behavioral Health.

Clara PeretzTherapist

Clara Peretz is a Licensed Social Worker and serves as a therapist at Malvern Behavioral Health. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.

Clara has worked with a wide range of clients in clinic-based and inpatient psychiatric settings, with incarcerated individuals, and with young adults in academic settings. Clara identifies and empathizes with the unique barriers faced by the LGBTQ+ community and is excited to work with clients of all gender and sexual identities.

In both individual and group therapy settings, Clara collaborates with clients to create and safe and affirming space where challenging thoughts, feelings, and experience can be explored. She aims to empower clients with education and therapeutic techniques for coping with trauma responses, anxiety, depression, psychosis, and substance use issues.

Clara Peretz

Therapist

Join the Team

Explore career and internship opportunities with Malvern Behavioral Health.

View Careers
Malvern Behavioral Health is proud to be a partner Malvern Behavioral Health is proud to be a partner of @unlockethelight and the Fifth Annual SL24 Memorial Basketball Classic. Look forward to shining the light!
#sl24 #unlockethelight #mentalhealth #removethestigma
Parents and guardians who have a young adult strug Parents and guardians who have a young adult struggling with mental health disorders often feel useless because they don't know how to help.

Sometimes, a young adult who has a mental health disorder needs resources that they can't get at home.

Read our blog to learn about the different types of mental health support options and find out which one is right for you.
.
.
.
#MalvernBehavioralHealth #MentalHealthSupport #MentalHealthAwareness
The youth mental health crisis in the U.S. has bee The youth mental health crisis in the U.S. has been growing over the past few years.

There have been numerous studies and reports proving that children, adolescents, and young adults are increasingly struggling with mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.

It's important that parents and guardians are aware of the signs so they can help before it's too late:

1. Persistent sadness that lasts two weeks or more.
2. Withdrawing from or avoiding social interactions.
3. Hurting oneself or talking about hurting oneself.
4. Talking about death or suicide.
5. Outbursts or extreme irritability.
6. Changes in appetite (eating too much or too little).
7. Difficulty concentrating.
8. Changes in sleeping habits (sleeping too much or too little).

If you or someone you know is showing these signs, or you have reason to believe they may be struggling with a mental health issue call us at 610-480-8919 or learn more on our site.
.
.
.
#MalvernBehavioralHealth #YouthMentalHealthCrisis #MentalHealthAwareness
Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., for his service, his life, and the legacy he left.

As we reflect on the influence Dr. King had on history, we remember that the fight for peace is still happening and is still important in today's society.
.
.
.
#MalvernBehavioralHealth #MLKDay #FightForPeace
Malvern Behavioral Health
Malvern Behavioral Health
The Joint Commission Quality Approval
An LGBTQ+ Safezone
An LGBTQ+ Safezone
  • Privacy Practices
  • Terms of Use
  • Compliance & Complaints
  • Notice of Non-Discrimination
  • ADA
  • Sitemap