About Elena M Hicks, PMHNP

Elena Hicks is a board-certified psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner who specializes in medication management for adults. In 2018, she completed her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from California State University, Los Angeles. Elena has spent her career as a nurse practitioner gaining experience working with adults with an array of mental health concerns including anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, Elena worked as a registered nurse (RN) at an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital.

Elena is very cautious with prescribing controlled medications and requires all patients to complete neuropsychological testing prior to receiving stimulant medications for the treatment of ADHD. She also only prescribes benzodiazepines (e.g., Xanax, Klonopin, and Ativan) and benzodiazepine receptor agonists (e.g., Ambien, Sonata) for short-term (1-2 weeks) use and only in acute cases.

Outside of work, Elena enjoys traveling, gardening, and going on hikes with her dog, Shelby.