Skyland Trail Welcomes Justin Ayankola, MD, as New Medical Director of Adult Services
ATLANTA, GA – Skyland Trail, a nationally recognized nonprofit mental health treatment organization, is pleased to announce the appointment of Justin Ayankola, MD, as the new Medical Director of Adult Services. With extensive experience in adult and child psychiatry, Dr. Ayankola brings a distinguished background in psychiatric care and leadership from leading institutions nationwide.
As Medical Director of Adult Services, Dr. Ayankola will develop, promote, and maintain the highest quality of professional services at the Skyland Trail adult campus. In addition to assessing and treating a caseload of individual patients, Dr. Ayankola will help lead the Interventional Psychiatry program, including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulations (TMS) and Spravato/esketamine, supervise professional staff at the adult campus, and strategically partner with other leaders to identify and operationalize new and existing services. He will partner closely with Charles B. West Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ben Hunter to ensure the quality of services and that Skyland Trail programs and services align with the organization’s mission.
Dr. Ayankola is board-certified in general adult psychiatry as well as child and adolescent psychiatry. His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, graduating summa cum laude from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. He went on to earn his medical degree at Harvard Medical School, where he completed key psychiatric clerkships at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital.
Following his graduation, Dr. Ayankola pursued a general psychiatry residency at Yale University. During this time, he gained valuable experience at Yale Mental Health & Counseling, providing therapy and medication management to students across all academic levels. While his collaborative work with psychologists and therapists helped develop comprehensive treatment plans, he also provided consultations to college deans.
To further deepen his specialization, Dr. Ayankola completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center, focusing on the Solnit South track. His training was centered at the Albert J. Solnit Psychiatric Center, Connecticut’s state psychiatric hospital for youth, where he managed complex cases involving children and adolescents. During his final year of training, he was selected by his peers and faculty as the John E. Schowalter Chief Resident of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Dr. Ayankola has demonstrated a commitment to expanding mental health services, particularly in underserved areas. As Director of Behavioral Health at Albany Area Primary Health Care (AAPHC) in Albany, Georgia, he developed and led initiatives to increase access to mental health services for both children and adults. He established partnerships with local school systems and mental health courts, creating school-based psychiatric consultation services and strengthening mental health care in the region. Additionally, Dr. Ayankola was instrumental in securing a Teaching Health Center Planning and Development (THCPD) grant, which set the foundation for a future psychiatry residency program at AAPHC.
In his most recent role as the inaugural Medical Director of Collaborative Care Psychiatry at Wellstar Health System, Dr. Ayankola helped enhance primary care behavioral health integration. He played a key role in developing an eConsult program, enabling primary care providers and pediatricians across the Wellstar System to access psychiatric expertise. This program significantly improved care coordination and expanded access to mental health services within the system.
Dr. Ayankola’s experience in clinical care and leadership makes him a valuable addition to Skyland Trail’s adult services. His expertise has been featured in several media outlets, including Atlanta Medicine, STAT, and Atlanta News First. He is an active member of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and serves as a community faculty member at the Yale Child Study Center.
Dr. Ayankola’s leadership and expertise will help further Skyland Trail’s efforts to provide high-quality, evidence-based mental health care to adults facing complex psychiatric challenges.
Skyland Trail is a nationally recognized nonprofit mental health treatment organization based in Atlanta, GA. We specialize in treating adults with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders through residential and outpatient programs. Our holistic approach integrates evidence-based psychiatric care, behavioral therapies, and wellness strategies to promote long-term recovery.