National Council Awards of Excellence and Reintegration Awards
Awards Program Book with Honoree Profiles
Press Release: Reintegration Awards
Press Release: Awards of Excellence
Each year, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare honors distinguished behavioral healthcare individuals and organizations that have set themselves apart through its Awards of Excellence — the most prestigious awards in behavioral healthcare. Honorees reflect the most innovative and inspirational work happening in behavioral healthcare organizations across the country — staff, board leadership, volunteers, consumers, families, and community partners who are changing the lives of children, adults, and families with mental illnesses and addiction disorders.
News releases for Awards of Excellence and Reintegration Awards.
2012 Awards of Excellence Honorees
$10,000 grant supported by Mental Health Weekly
Winner: Central Arizona Programmatic Suicide Deterrent System, Magellan Health Services of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ
The relative risk of suicide for individuals with serious mental illness is 12 to 13 times higher than that of the general population. However, all too often, behavioral health avoids or relegates the issue of suicide prevention to secondary or niche focus. The result is that clinical staff are not adequately trained, many do not feel equipped, and there is a tendency to “pass the hot potato” when the “S-word” is used. The suicide prevention program is recognized for its groundbreaking initiative to reduce to zero the number of suicides among people with serious mental illness enrolled in the region’s public health system. Magellan and the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Division of Behavioral Health Services led a collaborative with community leaders to change the culture around suicide, arm provider agency staff and families with skills and knowledge to intervene with those most at risk, and create a framework to address this major public health problem. Since 2007, the initiative has succeeded in reducing the suicide death by nearly a 50 percent for those with serious mental illness.
Program of Significance: Community Psychiatric Clinic, Seattle, WA
Two years after launching a major program for veterans in the Puget Sound area, the Community Psychiatric Clinic was one of only two agencies in the state to receive Department of Veterans Affairs funding for a rapid rehousing program for 120 homeless veterans and their immediate families. Since its inception, CPC has made contact with 505 women and minority veterans and linked 378 of them to services.
$10,000 grant supported by the Mental Health Risk Retention Group and Negley Associates
Winner: Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, Philadelphia, PA
In the “City of Brotherly Love,” family-centered care is making a difference in the lives of those who raise children with behavioral health challenges. The Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, devoted to serving the emotional needs of children beginning in early childhood to help them reach their full potential regardless of their challenges, is recognized for its innovative Therapeutic Nursery program. The novel initiative provides a supportive haven for children’s development and empowers family members to become informed advocates on behalf of their children. Skill-building workshops teach anger management, parental self-care, addressing the impact of grief and loss on children, and advocating for special education services. Care coordinators help parents and caregivers learn to better support their children and manage transitions to appropriate after-care settings once development goals are met in the therapeutic nursery.
Program of Significance: Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, AZ
Immediately following the January 8, 2011, Tucson shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, leaders at the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona went to work planning a mental health forum and response team. They helped to create positive and enduring changes in the community’s commitment to early identification of mental illness and referrals to care.
$10,000 grant supported by Qualifacts, Inc.
Winner: Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center, Montrose, CO
How do you seamlessly and successfully screen individuals of varying ages for a wide range of behavioral health concerns? The solution: a handheld electronic tablet that uses trigger logic, screening and assessment metrics, and key questions in a digital consumer interview. Midwestern is making incredible strides in identifying and treating those that would have gone undiagnosed and untreated — perhaps for a lifetime. In June 2010, Midwestern screened nearly 5,000 individuals, including 130 incarcerated individuals. More than 500 had a positive screen and almost all of them participated in therapy. The Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center is staying ahead of the curve by embracing health IT but more importantly, they are saving and improving lives.
Program of Significance: David Lawrence Center, Naples, FL
In June of 2010, the David Lawrence Center partnered with ValueOptions, which manages the Collier County prepaid Medicaid contract, to launch a pilot project exploring whether telemedicine could provide more timely access and cost-effective mental health services in rural communities. Doctor availability went from twice a month to four days a week, and the small satellite office was able to access clinical staff with many specialties.
Susan Salasin, SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services, Rockville, MD
Susan Salasin, Director of the Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care Program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, is recognized for her pioneering work dedicated to recovery and healing for victims of crime and violence, during a career that spans four decades. At age 16, Salasin was a victim of a violent crime and went on to devote her life to improving the lives of others with similar experiences. Among her many accomplishments, she was co-director of a Harvard collaborative study on women and depression and co-authored a book on the study, The Mental Health of Women. She developed and co-directed a national project, “Women, Co-occurring Disorders, and Violence” — a first-of-its-kind trauma initiative, demonstrating new positive models of intervention and healing. Salasin’s story of hope and recovery is a testament to anyone struggling to overcome the impact of trauma.
With the passing of the National Council’s former board chair William Kyles in August 2011, behavioral health lost one of its greatest champions and leaders. His legacy of service to improve the lives of people with mental illness and addictions lives on in the Visionary Leaders honored in 2012.
Clayton Chau, MD, PhD, Orange County Health Care Agency, Orange County, CA
As associate medical director at the Orange County Health Care Agency, Dr. Chau has served as a driving force for almost 20 years in advocacy for and advancement of people living with mental illness in Orange County and across California. Dr. Chau has built strong relationships with diverse communities in the county including refugees; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender population; ethnic minorities; government; and academia. One of the “boat people” from Vietnam who came to the U.S. in the 1970s to escape political persecution, he worked with other Vietnamese refugees in the community to set up an organization to help family members suffering from behavioral health disorders. An expert in substance abuse and HIV, Dr. Chau was selected for the American Psychiatric Association Mead Johnson Fellowship in Community Leadership. Having struggled with depression earlier in his life, Dr. Chau now serves as a role model who demonstrates that a person with mental illness can lead a productive, successful life.
Dale K. Klatzker, PhD, MSW, The Providence Center, Providence, RI
As President and CEO of The Providence Center, Dr. Dale Klatzker has based his professional life on his belief that people with mental illness are best served in the community with a full continuum of care that addresses the whole person. Klatzker has guided his organization with a philosophy that good care equates to clients receiving the right amount of consumer-centered, recovery-focused care at the right time and for right duration; that providing a full continuum of community-based behavioral health services will improve care and decrease costly emergency room visits and unnecessary inpatient admissions; and that the whole person must be treated by providing integrated and coordinated primary and behavioral healthcare. His inspirational leadership has been the catalyst for innovation at The Providence Center and has engendered positive change in the lives of thousands of children, adults, and families in Rhode Island with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. He also made a significant impact on behavioral health policy and practice improvement at the national level during his tenure as board chair of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.
Dale Rinard, TERROS, Phoenix, AZ
Dale Rinard, who retired in 2010 as President and CEO of TERROS, successfully steered the community-based behavioral health organization out of financial ruin when took the reins in 1995. In his 16 years at the helm, he grew the organization from 110 employees and a $5.5 million budget to a company with 450 employees and a $30 million budget. In 2007-08, he demonstrated visionary leadership by helping to form two new behavioral health networks, including the Crisis Response Network which established a live telephone crisis hotline service 24 hours a day. His influence, expectations, and values are still thriving in the community he served. His rescue of TERROS from financial disaster mean that today, more than 30,000 Arizonians can receive behavioral health prevention, treatment and recovery services. Rinard’s creative thinking has offered much-needed help at a reasonable cost to many across the state.
REINTEGRATION AWARDS
In 2012, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is also partnering with Lilly to run the Reintegration Awards program, which celebrates the achievements of those in the community who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses, and the achievements of those living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who battle tremendous odds to improve their own lives and the lives of their peers.
Since 1997, the Reintegration Awards, supported by Eli Lilly and Company, have celebrated the achievements of those in the community who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses, and the achievements of those living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who battle tremendous odds to improve their own lives and the lives of their peers. In 2012, the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is proud to partner with Lilly to present the Reintegration Awards.
Achievement
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Kevin Cleare, CASES, Inc., New York, NY
Kevin Cleare, a former prison inmate who became a tireless advocate for people with serious mental illness in the criminal justice system, is an inspiring example of perseverance in the face of many obstacles.” After earning his GED in prison, Cleare graduated from a peer specialist training program and started working as a peer specialist. He went on to earn his Certified Alcohol and Substance Use Counseling certification to become a professional clinician at CASES, a New York city-based organization that works to increase the understanding and use of community sanctions that are fair, affordable and consistent with public safety. Cleare uses his street smarts to engage and support clients with serious mental illness involved in the criminal justice system. His tireless advocacy helps to “give the forgotten a chance to enhance their lives.”
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Jessica Lynn R. Gimeno, The Balanced Mind Foundation. Evanston, IL
Advocate Jessica Gimeno has helped hundreds of young people learn about and grapple with behavioral health disorders. Despite immense personal health challenges, she co-founded the depression support network, Xapis, as a student at Northwestern University and hosts Flipswitch, a podcast and blog that helps teens and 20-somethings understand depression and bipolar disorder.
Advocacy
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Fresh AIR (Artists In Recovery) Gallery, Columbus, OH
If a picture paints a thousand words, then Fresh A.I.R (Artists In Recovery) Gallery in Columbus, OH exhibits has contributed a myriad of persuasive words to help change how people think about mental illness. The gallery is being recognized for challenging common misperceptions about mental illness by promoting high-quality artwork by artists affected by psychiatric disorders. Since opening in 2004, the gallery has displayed the work of almost 200 artists in 44 exhibits and sold nearly 200 pieces for more than $45,000. Residents of central Ohio see the many dimensions of behavioral health challenges and gain a fresh perspective on recovery when they tour the gallery. A.I.R.’s success shows that art is indeed a powerful tool to fight the stigma associated with mental illness and to demonstrate that persons with mental illness can live productive lives and contribute to society.
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services, Glen Allen, VA
In Virginia, the Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services’ "Voices of Recovery" radio show uses storytelling to amplify the voices of community members with mental health needs. Each episode highlights the struggles and accomplishments of a well-known individual and is read by another with similar lived experience. Together they share a story of recovery.
Artistic Contribution
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Sharon Denise Wise, Washington, DC
Sharon Wise is a prominent leader in the Washington, DC behavioral health community, applying her artistic and leadership talents to help individuals on their recovery journey. She has delighted young audiences with her series of children’s books about a dog with bipolar disorder. She has trained more than 2,000 people to help fight the stigma associated with mental illness. As a Certified Peer Specialist, Whole Health Specialist, and Wellness Recovery Action Plan® Facilitator, she started the first DC drop-in center dedicated to serving people with mental illness and substance use disorders. She puts her property management certification to work, ensuring that people with mental illness have adequate housing. Wise received the Joy Evans Award in 2007, a Voice Award in 2008, and the Crisis Intervention Team Award in 2010 for her work with law enforcement.
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Jan Kobe, Wyandot Inc., Kansas City, KS
Jan Kobe, peer support specialist at Wyandot Center in Kansas, helps build social skills and self-esteem through a robust consumer art program that she developed for individuals who are coping with mental illnesses. Kobe meets people where they are on their recovery journey and helps them develop skills in painting, drawing, quilt making, and other media.
Clinical Medicine
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Trilogy's Integrated Healthcare Program, Chicago, IL
At Trilogy, Inc., the mission is clear — to promote recovery by helping individuals with serious mental illnesses discover and reclaim their capabilities and find new direction in life. Trilogy’s success is evidenced by numerous grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, including a grant to support better primary care and behavioral health services for individuals with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, and a $200,000 health information technology grant to develop an expanded electronic health records system. Trilogy’s Integrated Healthcare Program helps to meet consumers’ needs for primary healthcare services through a holistic, multidisciplinary approach.
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Asa G Yancey Health Center, Grady Health System, Atlanta, GA
After just a year in business with a tight budget, Asa G. Yancey Health Center/Grady Health System is changing the lives of individuals with mental health needs in Atlanta. The health center screens all patients for depression and bipolar disorder; secures referrals for mental health services; provides weekly group supervision for patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as part of their primary care visit, and supports access to housing, financial assistance, and job training.
Employment
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Cafe 54, Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, Tuscon, AZ
At a time when jobs are hard to come by, Arizona’s Café 54 offers individuals recovering from mental illnesses a valuable employment experience in a nurturing, creative environment. The employment program is part of Café 54’s goal of reducing and ultimately eliminating the misconceptions surrounding mental illness by showing that people with mental illness can lead fulfilling lives. The restaurant opened in 2004 with the help of a $250,000 grant from Community Partnership of Southern Arizona’s Tobacco Tax funds, and attributes its success in part to CSPA’s ongoing support. The Tucson bistro trains its staff and gives them firsthand experience working in a quality restaurant setting, providing the community with a pool of reliable future employees. Consumers become employed, tax-paying citizens with the tools they need to recognize their own inherent talents and skills. Tips help support the Café’s Art Foundation Fund, which gives individuals recovering from mental illness the opportunity to express themselves through the arts.
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Recovery Resources' Employment Services, Cleveland, OH
Recovery Resources of Cleveland, Ohio, helps individuals triumph over mental illness, alcoholism, drug, and other addictions. The center’s Employment Services program teaches soft skills and symptom management and helps place clients in jobs they love.
Housing
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Boley Centers, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL
Boley Centers connects people in recovery with high-quality housing and other services in five counties on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The organization provides more than 1,000 units of affordable housing to homeless, people challenged with mental illness and substance abuse problems, and people of low income. Since 1970, the private, not-for-profit organization has provided some the community’s most vulnerable citizens with quality treatment, rehabilitation, employment, and housing services. As its tagline — Recovery Works! — shows, the organization has truly enriched the lives of people with behavioral health challenges and helped them to work on their recovery with the utmost dignity.
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Janian Medical Care PC (formerly Project for Psychiatric Outreach to the Homeless), New York, NY
At the Janian Health Care (formerly Project for Psychiatric Outreach to the Homeless) in New York City, the results speak for themselves. Since expanding its services in 2007, the project has met and provided evaluation and other services for 1,021 chronically homeless individuals and has provided ongoing treatment to 332 of them. More than 700 of these individuals now have homes.
Mentorship
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Tammy Navarro, SARDAA, Houston, TX
Dr. Tammy Navarro draws on her experiences with schizophrenia and recovery to offer an array of supports for individuals around the world experiencing similar challenges. A psychotherapist with a license in marriage and family therapy, she works for two nonprofits and runs a private practice in Carmichael, California, helping those with schizophrenia and their families. She's been a Schizophrenics Anonymous Leader and a speaker for national conferences. Over the past 12 years, she has mentored 42 people outside the U.S., many of whom live with oppressive governments and intense stigma. She has been awarded the Self-Help Award of the Year by Yolo County Mental Health Association as well as the Above & Beyond award from Schizophrenics Anonymous. A single mom of two children, she has written articles about her illness and recovery and currently is working on a book.
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Bill MacPhee, Magpie Media, Ontario, Canada
Bill MacPhee, CEO and founder of Magpie Media, helps improve the lives of people living with mental illness through his work as an advocate and publisher of SZ Magazine, which he started in 1994 as Schizophrenia Digest. As someone living with schizophrenia, Bill shares his story with audiences across North America and serves as living proof that there is hope and a life for people with schizophrenia.
Social Support
$10,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
First Prize: Compeer of Greater Buffalo Older Adult Services, Buffalo, NY
Compeer of Greater Buffalo has shown that even with all of today’s amazing technology, the power of friendship can still play an invaluable role in increasing social and communication skills, and encourage independence for people struggling with mental health disorders. Compeer harnesses the power of friendship to improve the lives of older adults and seniors who are striving for good mental health. The company’s Older Adult Services program recruits, screens, and matches trained volunteers and mentors in one-to-one supportive friendship relationships with older adults who are receiving mental health treatment. The stories of Compeer volunteers demonstrate the life-changing nature of these friendships. Compeer’s director of senior services, Sarah Stimm, was named Humanitarian of the Year in 2006 by the Western New York Network in Aging. In 2011, Erie County recognized the benefits of Compeer’s work for older adults with mental illness by increasing its budget by 100 percent, even as other budgets were being cut or eliminated.
$5,000 grant supported by Eli Lilly and Company
Second Prize: Building Recovery of Individual Dreams and Goals through Education and Support (BRIDGES), Nashville, TN
Featured at the National Council Conference each spring, the Awards of Excellence celebration provides an opportunity for these honorees to be recognized by their peers and other distinguished guests. We invite you to join us for an inspirational and energizing night to pay tribute to those who are doing this incredibly important and often recognized work in behavioral healthcare every day. Learn more and buy tickets.
Questions? Email awards@thenationalcouncil.org or call 202.684.7457 or 1-866-362-0505.
