Ukamaka Oruche

Ukamaka Oruche is an associate professor of psychiatric mental health nursing at Indiana University School of Nursing. She is also the director of global programs for the school. Her clinical research focuses on improving outcomes for children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavior problems.

She designs and tests programs to enhance adolescents and their parents interactions with mental health providers. She coaches both parents and providers to improve parent engagement and shared decision-making in all aspects of their child and adolescent’s treatment. Her overall goal is to use research to inform organized mental health structure and delivery for equitable outcomes across diverse populations.

Oruche led the first integrated mental health and primary care program in Marion County across the Eskenazi Health Community Health Centers and Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. She is a member of Indiana Protection and Advocacy Commission, appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb.

She received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and she chairs the academy’s Psychiatric Mental Health and Substance Use Expert Panel.

Areas of Expertise

Mental health, children and adolescents with mental health disorders and their families, parent and mental health provider interactions or communications, mental health of children and adolescents from low-income families, health disparities, global health in low- and middle-income countries.

Other Information