Five Questions with Dr. Kobylinski, HYS’ Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist

At Harborcreek Youth Services, effective healing starts with strong, collaborative treatment teams. Our psychiatrists, clinicians, educators, and direct-care staff work together every day to support youth as they build stability, insight, and hope. At the center of that work is our Medical Director, Dr. Ryan Kobylinski, D.O., known around campus simply as Dr. Koby.

Since joining HYS full-time in April 2024, Dr. Kobylinski has played a key role in strengthening our treatment approach, supporting our teams, and helping guide thoughtful, consistent care for the youth we serve. We recently had the opportunity to learn more about his professional journey, what led him to this work, and why HYS has remained such a meaningful place for him over the years. Here’s what he shared with us.

Can you share a bit about your background and how you found your way into child and adolescent psychiatry?

I was born and raised in Erie County and grew up on the lower East side. I attended Holy Family Elementary School and East High School. I originally planned a career in the military and was appointed to West Point Military Academy by Congressman Tom Ridge. However, the military would not provide a medical waiver for my extreme farsightedness, so I returned to Erie and decided to become a physician.

At first, I planned to become an ENT and ultimately a facial plastic surgeon. During my rotations in medical school, I spent time at Sarah Reed Children’s Center, and that is where I discovered what a child psychiatrist does. It connected with me, and I realized the lifestyle and team-based approach were a good fit.

I completed pre-med at Gannon University and then attended LECOM for medical school. I completed an adult psychiatry residency at Cleveland Clinic and a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Akron Children’s Hospital. I always intended to return to Erie, and once my training was completed, I did.

What settings have you worked in, and what has that experience taught you?

Over the past 16 years, I have worked with children and families in Acute Partial, School-Based Partial, and Residential Treatment. I prefer these settings to traditional outpatient medicine. I value the team-based approach and the more frequent contact, which helps me better understand clients and their families and make stronger decisions and recommendations.

I have worked at Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center in Residential, Partial, Acute Partial, and Outpatient; Barber National Institute’s Acute Partial; Stairways Outpatient; Bethesda Lutheran Services’ Partial and Group Home/Shelter Placement; and of course Harborcreek Youth Services. This gave me perspective not only on quality care and different treatment modalities, but also on the relationships between administration and employees. These organizations are systems, and employees are affected either positively or negatively by how well those systems function.

How long have you been involved with Harborcreek Youth Services? What do you like about working here?

I have always loved working at HYS. When I came here part-time, I always wished I could work here more. I worked part-time for HYS for about 10 years and became the full-time Medical Director in April 2024. When I had the opportunity to propose coming on board full-time as Medical Director after Dr. Chuck Joy retired, I was completely all in. I appreciate is that I have daily contact with our CEO and other key leadership, which was rare in previous employment.

HYS’ administration truly cares about employees and tries to treat everyone like family. The leadership is fantastic and leads by example. Decisions are made in a timely manner because we are not weighed down with unnecessary layers of administration. HYS stays on top of crises and problems and works together to solve things quickly.

I also feel HYS is able to use shared governance and Sanctuary models while still being efficient. There is a wealth of staff with 10+, 20+, 30+, and even 40+ years of experience. Residential managers work with unit managers, and they work with unit staff to share knowledge and experience. This leads to better quality of care and less turnover with direct care staff.

What’s life like outside of work?

I live in Edinboro with my wife, Dr. Andrea Kobylinski, and our two sons, Nicholas (16) and Noah (12). I also have a 22-year-old daughter, Kayla, who lives on her own in Erie. I enjoy golfing, and I love vacationing with my family, especially trips to Disney parks in the USA and other countries.

Why does the mission of HYS matter to you personally?

“H.Y.S.” stands not for Harborcreek Youth Services but rather “Helping Youth Succeed.” My mission aligns with HYS. We have an opportunity to help these young men heal from past trauma and gain self-esteem and empathy as they move forward into adulthood.

We help them understand what their needs are and how to meet those needs in healthy ways. We work very hard to help youth share their success and growth with their families and return home with a renewed sense of self and purpose.

In recent years, we have had the unfortunate experience of having many clients whose adoptive parents are unwilling to let them return home even after successfully completing treatment. This has been very challenging at times and can be demoralizing for all of are part of their care. We support each other at HYS and focus on helping these youth be their best selves. If families have given up on them before they even got here, then we try to find a different path and help them leave our program with the skills and insights to have a shot at success and happiness.