Ellen McNamara MSW, LCSW, is a member of Summit Health’s Behavioral Health team. She chose to pursue a career as a social worker because she finds helping people transform their lives rewarding. Ms. McNamara grew up helping others and for her, social work felt like a personal calling.

With more than 25 years of experience working in health care, Ms. McNamara has focused her career on both medical and behavioral health. Prior to joining Summit Health, she worked in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting at Runnells Specialized Hospital/Cornerstone Behavioral Health for 14 years, servicing patients with mental health needs by coordinating services and care management as well as providing individual, group, and family therapy.

Ms. McNamara enjoys working closely with family members. “I am passionate about fostering a positive future for families as we work together on the impact of health, health care concerns, caregiving roles, and support needs such as advance care planning, crisis intervention, hospice, and end-of-life care,” she said.

Being patient-centric, not symptom-centric, is a cornerstone of Ms. McNamara’s treatment philosophy. She is dedicated and committed to the process, ensuring her patients feel comfortable and receive the help that they need. “I love being a social worker,” she says. “I am passionate about helping others and finding it rewarding to see patients improve through the benefits of treatment.”

When Ms. McNamara is not seeing patients in the office, she loves spending time with her husband, two children, and dogs. She is also a proud animal advocate.