Welcome to Sterling Behavioral Health Services
Our Team of Pychiatrists
Our growing team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists offer a wide range of assessment and treatment services, including counseling/therapy(individual, family, marriage, and group), testing (psychological and neuropsychological), and medication management. Sterling Behavioral Health Services welcomes persons with diverse backgrounds and/or persons speaking Spanish and/or other languages.
David Band, M.D.
Dr. David Band is the Medical Director and Owner of Sterling Behavioral Health Services.
He is not taking new patients
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He grew up in suburban Philadelphia and received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. After working for one year, including a summer as a Park Ranger, he attended the George Washington University Medical School and graduated in 1980. His Flexible Medical Internship was completed in Boston in 1981, and his Psychiatric Residency at the National Institute of Mental Health - St. Elizabeth's Hospital, in Washington, D.C., was completed in 1984.
Dr. Band was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Public Health Service in 1980 and served on active duty for over 20 years. During that time, he worked on the Navajo Reservation in a very rural traditional setting and then gained extensive inpatient and outpatient experience, both clinical and administrative, in an urban setting with patients diagnosed with a full range of psychiatric illnesses. During his last six years with the USPHS, Dr. Band ran a community-based treatment program in Washington, D.C. Upon leaving the USPHS, he spent 15 months as the Medical Director of an adolescent residential treatment hospital before co-founding Sterling Behavioral Health Services.
Dr. Band specializes in treating children and adolescents, including angry and/or depressed teenagers. His areas of clinical expertise include ADHD, mood and anxiety disorders, school problems, obsessive-compulsive disorder, court-ordered psychiatric evaluations, and conduct and behavioral issues, including those associated with pervasive developmental disorders such as Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
Alta Chery-Leonard, ARNP, PMHNP, FNP
I am Alta Chery-Leonard, an experienced Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with extensive background experience in psychiatry. I am a strong medical professional with a dual certification in Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
I am board-certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and licensed in WV, VA, and MD. I provide telehealth services and direct client care, including ongoing client education with a focus on mental health restoration and maintenance.
I enjoy providing specialized care through compassion, excellence, and efficiency for all patients. I provide treatment to several mental disorders, including but not limited to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, personality disorder, PTSD, and substance use disorder.
I collaborate with therapists and caregivers on an interdisciplinary team to develop treatment programs and practical therapies for individuals experiencing varying degrees of mental health challenges, cognitive decline, and depression. By working in this setting, I realize that mental health can affect people from all walks of life, regardless of age, gender, economic status, or ethnicity. I possess good communication and interpersonal skills based on my patients’ perspectives. I have the ability to work effectively in challenging environments, and I am a strong team player.
Julie Valdes is a psychiatric nurse practitioner who is passionate about psychiatry and has been involved in mental health for over 10 years. She is well equipped and uses evidenced-based treatment for patients with mental health issues across their lifespan. Her priority is to focus on your mental health and wellbeing where you feel heard and understood.
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She treats patients as young as 6