Our Doctors
Nelson M. Handal, M.D., FAPA is the Founder, Chairman, and Medical Director for Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic & Harmonex. As a practicing board certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, Dr. Handal has dedicated much of his career to developing and implementing technologies that elevate the quality of patient care. His vision was born after many years of tireless work focused on perfecting a clinical model that uses technology, while implementing sensible, practical, and modern clinical practices.
In addition to having established DBMC and serving as Medical Director at a large inpatient psychiatric hospital, Dr. Handal participates in extensive clinical research and is a national consultant and speaker on his specific areas of expertise relating to child and adolescent psychiatry. He has been featured in Business Week as well as other national publications and is recognized as a key opinion leader in the area of child and adolescent psychiatry. In May of 2009, Dr. Handal was invited to testify before the Unites States House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs regarding Innovative technologies and treatments that are currently helping veterans. In the late 1980s, Dr. Handal was president of one of the first telemedicine referral services in the world.
Awards include the 2009 Heroes in the Fight Award given by Mental Health America and The Excellence in Public Mental Health Award for 2008 given by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In addition, Dr. Handal has also been recognized as one of America’s Top Psychiatrists for 2008 and 2007 given by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. His private practice, Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic, has received the 2008 Best of Dothan Award in the Physicians category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA). Dr. Handal has also received the 2008 Patient’s Choice Award and the 2007 Mental Health Professional of the Year Award for Alabama. In 1996 Dr. Handal was presented with the Clinical Scholar Award conferred by the University of Miami School of Medicine. Dr. Handal is also recognized as a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Handal completed residency training in general psychiatry at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse in Syracuse, New York. After that, he completed his fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami. Dr. Handal is a member in good standing of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.
Jerlyn C. McCleod, M.D.
Jerlyn C. McCleod, M.D. is a board certified adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist that has been in practice with the team at Dothan Behavioral Medicine Clinic since 2003 and is a co-investigator in many of our clinical research studies. She is the current Medical Director of Laurel Oaks Behavioral Health Center, an in-patient hospital for children and adolescents in Dothan, AL. She is the current Medical Director of Bradford Health Clinic, an out-patient center for treatment of adults and adolescents with substance dependence in Dothan, Al.
She completed her Bachelor of Science Degree at Howard University in Washington, DC. She received her Medical Degree from the University of Illinois, College of Medicine. From there, she completed her training with a residency in General Psychiatry, as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. McCleod is Board Certified in General Psychiatry as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is licensed to practice medicine both in the states of Alabama and Georgia.
Dr. McCleod is a member in good standing of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, the American Medical Association and the National Medical Association. She is a life member of the Global Directory of Who's Who in American Professionals. She received the Mental Health Professional of the Year Award given by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Wiregrass in 2009.
She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Kappa Pi Omega Chapter in Dothan, AL and was voted as the chapter's 2010 "Soror of the Year". She is the chapter's current Vice President. She is married to Donald McCleod, CPA and has two children.