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Latiema Merilus

PMHNP

Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

English Only

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About

Latiema Merilus is a dedicated and compassionate board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over eight years of experience in mental health care. Her journey to nursing was inspired by her time in the finance industry, where she developed a deep desire to address the lack of awareness and support for mental health challenges. This led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with honors from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Wilkes University. She also holds a certification in addictions nursing from the Addictions Nursing Certification Board.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Latiema has a unique understanding of the fast-paced lifestyle and its impact on mental health. She takes a holistic approach to care, focusing not just on symptoms but also on the social and environmental factors that contribute to mental health challenges.

Latiema is experienced in both talk therapy and psychopharmacology and specializes in treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and co-occurring substance use problems. Her goal is to help patients feel heard, understood, and empowered on their mental health journey.

Specialties

  • Adults 18+
  • Work Stress
  • Addiction Treatment
  • Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Disorder

Education

  • Wilkes University – Master’s in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
  • Rutgers University – Bachelor of Science in Nursing (with honors)
  • Certified in Addictions Nursing by the Addictions Nursing Certification Board

Accepted Insurances

  • Select
  • HMO
  • Value Performance Network
  • Open Access Select ( Health Fund)
  • Open Choice PPO
  • Choice® POS (Open Access)
  • Choice® POS II (Open Access)
  • Health Network Only (Open Access)
  • Health Network Option (Open Access)
  • Managed Choice (Open Access)
  • Managed Choice POS
  • QPOS
  • USAccess®
  • HealthFund® Health Network Only (Open Access)
  • HealthFund® Health Network Option (Open Access)
  • Open Access Managed Choice POS ( Health Fund)
  • Open Choice® PPO ( Health Fund)
  • Choice POS II ( HealthFund)
  • Behavioral Health Program
  • Open Access (HMO)
  • Signature Administrators (PPO)
  • Voluntary Plans
  • Choice POS ( HealthFund)
  • Affordable Health Choices limited benefits insurance plan (SRC only)
  • Select (Open Access)
  • Premier Care Network
  • ActiveCare 1-HD
  • ActiveCare 2
  • ActiveCare Select
  • Freedom 10 (NJ)
  • Freedom 15 (NJ)
  • Freedom 1525 (NJ)
  • Freedom 2030 (NJ)
  • Freedom 2035 (NJ)
  • PPO
  • HealthFund CDHP
  • AFA Choice POS II 2500 HSA 100/80 CY
  • Premier Care Network Plus – Choice POSII
  • Premier Care Network (APCN) – Choice POSII
  • Standard PPO Plan
  • HMO Basic
  • HMO Deductible
  • HealthFund HMO
  • Value Network HMO
  • Savings Plus Open Access Managed Choice POS
  • Health Network Only
  • Health Network Option
  • Open Access POS II (Performance Network)
  • Open Access Select HMO (Performance)
  • Managed Choice Plan (PPO)
  • NJ: Assure Premier Plus (HMO D-SNP)
  • POS 30 MDCR Tri-State
  • Choice POS II
  • Managed Choice Open Access POS
  • NJ: FamilyCare & MLTC
  • UHC PPO Network Plan
  • Horizon Direct Access
  • Horizon HMO
  • Horizon POS
  • NJ Plus
  • Horizon PPO
  • Horizon MyWay HRA PPO
  • Horizon MyWay HSA PPO
  • NJ DIRECT
  • Federal Employee Plan – Standard Option
  • Federal Employee Plan – Basic Option
  • BlueCard PPO
  • Horizon MyWay HRA Direct Access
  • Horizon MyWay HSA Direct Access
  • CWA Unity DIRECT
  • OMNIA 8 with BlueCard PPO
  • OMNIA 11 with BlueCard PPO
  • OMNIA 4 with BlueCard PPO
  • POS NJPA
  • NJ Educators Health Plan
  • HMO NJPA
  • Managed Long-Term Services & Support (MLTSS)
  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • NJ FamilyCare
  • Horizon NJ TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
  • NJ Family Care
  • Circle Plans
  • Oscar Silver PPO
  • UnitedHealth Allies
  • Options PPO
  • Select HMO
  • Select Plus HMO
  • Choice HMO/Choice Plus HMO
  • OCI HMO
  • United Behavioral Health
  • Core
  • Navigate
  • Navigate/Navigate Balanced
  • Navigate Plus
  • Heritage Plus
  • Options Non-Differential PPO
  • Additional Network Benefit Plan/W500 Directory
  • Compass Rose Health Plan FEHP FFS (PPO)
  • Heritage Choice Standard
  • Passport Connect Choice Plus
  • Passport Connect Options PPO
  • PPO (Choice Plus)
  • Select Plus PPO
  • Choice Plus Advanced (HMO)
  • Choice Advanced
  • NJ: Dual Complete ONE (HMO SNP)
  • Choice Plus Plan with HSA
  • Navigate Plus PPO
  • Doctors Plan Plus (HMO)
  • Doctors Plan HMO / Doctors Plan Plus HMO
  • Direct Access Neighborhood Health Partnership HMO
  • NJ Family Care
  • NJ: UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete ONE (HMO SNP)
  • Kentucky – Medicaid HMO
  • North Carolina – Managaed Care Medicaid HMO
  • Pennsylvania – Dual Complete Medicaid HMO POS SNP
  • Virginia – Cardinal Care Medicaid HMO
  • NJ Medicaid
  • NJ Managed Long Term Services and Supports
  • NJ Family Care
  • NJ KidCare (CHIP)
  • NJ: Amerivantage Dual Coordination (HMO D-SNP)
  • NJ: Amerivantage Dual Secure (HMO POS D-SNP)

What you should know about working with me.

I believe mental health care is most effective when patients feel truly seen and supported. My approach is centered on compassion, understanding, and empowering patients to actively participate in their care. I consider every patient’s unique circumstances, including social and environmental factors, to ensure treatment is both holistic and effective.

My typical process for working with clients.

Latiema starts with a comprehensive initial evaluation to understand your mental health concerns, history, and goals. From there, she collaborates with you to create a personalized treatment plan, which may include therapy, medication management, or a combination of both. She emphasizes clear communication and ongoing adjustments to ensure your care evolves with your needs.

Sees Patients For

  • Abandonment issues
  • Academic Stress
  • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Addiction / Substance Abuse
  • Addiction Consultation
  • Addiction Follow Up
  • Adlerian Psychotherapy
  • Adolescent / Teen Issues
  • Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Adult Psychotherapy
  • Agitation
  • Agoraphobia
  • Alcoholism
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety
  • Anxiety Disorder
  • Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • BIPOC Mental Health Issues
  • Bariatric Pre-Surgical Psychological Assessment
  • Behavioral Problems
  • Bereavement / Grief Counseling
  • Betrayal Trauma
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
  • Chemical Dependency Assessments
  • Child Psychiatry Consultation
  • Child Psychiatry Follow Up
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Chronic Impulsivity
  • Chronic Relapse
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Cognitive Issues
  • Combat Stress Reaction (CSR)
  • Comorbidities in Mental Health
  • Confidence Issues
  • Counselling For First Responders
  • Court Ordered Treatment
  • Delusional Disorder
  • Depression
  • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
  • Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders
  • Dissociative Disorder
  • Domestic Violence
  • Drug Addiction
  • Dual Diagnosis
  • Emotional Abuse
  • Emotional Disturbance
  • Emotional Overeating
  • Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD)
  • Executive Function Tests
  • Existential Anxiety
  • Family Issues
  • Functional Capacity Evaluation (Mental)
  • Gambling Addiction
  • Geriatric Psychiatry
  • Hallucination(s)
  • Impulse Control Disorder (ICD)
  • Infertility Trauma
  • Insomnia
  • Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)
  • Intergenerational Trauma
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)
  • Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
  • Irrational Fears / Phobias
  • Kleptomania
  • Loneliness
  • Low Self Esteem
  • Manic Episode
  • Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
  • Medication Management
  • Medication Review
  • Men’s Mental Health Issues
  • Mental Competency Evaluation
  • Mental Health Consultation
  • Mental Health Problem
  • Mental Illness
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  • Mood Disorders
  • Mood Swings
  • Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
  • Narcissistic Abuse Recovery
  • New Patient Visit
  • Night Terrors
  • Nightmares
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Opioid Abuse
  • Opioid Maintenance Therapy
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
  • Painful Sex / Dyspareunia
  • Panic Attack
  • Panic Disorder
  • Pediatric Anxiety
  • Pediatric Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Pediatric Bereavement
  • Pediatric Depression
  • Pediatric Psychiatric Medication Review
  • Performance Anxiety
  • Perinatal Loss
  • Perinatal Mental Health
  • Persistent Depressive Disorder / Dysthymia
  • Personality Disorder
  • Phobia
  • Physical Abuse
  • Porn Addiction
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Counseling
  • Postpartum Anxiety
  • Postpartum Depression
  • Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Pre-College Fears
  • Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation
  • Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) / Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
  • Prescription / Refill
  • Prescription Drug Withdrawal
  • Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy
  • Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD)
  • Psychiatric Medication Management
  • Psychiatric Medication Review
  • Psychiatry Consultation
  • Psychiatry Follow Up
  • Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Psychological Trauma
  • Psychology Consultation
  • Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit
  • Psychotic Disorder
  • Psychotic Features
  • Quitting Smoking / Smoking Cessation
  • Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
  • Reality Therapy
  • Relapse Prevention Therapy
  • Schema Therapy
  • Schizoaffective Disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • School Phobia
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
  • Self Esteem Issues
  • Self-Harm / Injury
  • Separation Anxiety
  • Sex Addiction
  • Sexual Abuse Counseling
  • Sexual Behavior Problems
  • Sleep Disorder
  • Sleep Problems
  • Social Anxiety
  • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
  • Stress
  • Stress Management
  • Structural Family Therapy (SFT)
  • Suicidal Tendencies
  • Supportive Psychotherapy
  • Teen Violence
  • Tics / Tourette Syndrome
  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
  • Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR)
  • Women’s Mental Health Issues
  • Work-Related Counseling
  • Worry
  • Young Adult Issues