Plenary, Panel Highlights

• Dr. David Shern, president and CEO of Mental Health America, and Kenneth S. Thompson, M.D., associate director of Medical Affairs for Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, provided a framework to understand social inclusion and how working toward inclusion can improve everyone's well-being.
• Dr. Thompson also moderated a panel of leading researchers and policy advocates on the concepts of cultural identity and building communities that both appreciate and endorse diversity while facilitating social participation and equity for all.
• A panel of federal officials—Jeff Crowley, director of the Office of National AIDS Policy and senior advisor on Disability Policy at the White House, Barbara Edwards, director of the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group at CMS, and John O'Brien, Senior Advisor for Health Finance at SAMHSA—addressed the potential of health reform for behavioral health.
• During the keynote luncheon, Dr. William Beardslee, a member of the Mental Health America board and the Institute of Medicine report on “Depression in Parents, Parenting, and Children,” reviewed the most recent findings and recommendations regarding the effectiveness of treatment for parental depression and its impact on youth development.
• Renowned researcher J. David Hawkins, Ph.D., the founding director of the Social Development Research Group at the University of Washington, updated attendees on the 15-year follow-up study of effective prevention programming and how to implement it.
• Dr. Karen A. Blase, the founding member of the National Implementation Research Network who developed the Teaching Family Model for children with emotional or developmental disabilities in residential settings, discussed implementation strategies that are proven to work at the local level.
• Leading mental health advocate, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), spoke about the need to create a national framework for tapping the potential of advances in neuroscience.
• Noted author Pete Earley led a panel on how one person can change America's mental health using social connections and peer support. Attendees heard from four national leaders who have fundamentally changed the way people with mental health conditions are involved in their communities. Steve Luxenberg, author and editor at The Washington Post, led a panel that examined how we can more effectively implement and advocate for services.

To read highlights from the 2010 Annual Conference, visit: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/conference2010/. ::

Clifford W. Beers Award

Mental Health America awarded its highest honor to Dr. Fred Frese for his leadership and community service. A national spokesperson for people with severe mental illnesses for well over 20 years, Frese was among the first psychologists to publicly disclose his diagnosis of schizophrenia while serving on the faculty of Case Western Reserve University. In doing so, he risked his career because of the biases at the time regarding the fitness of individuals with mental illnesses to perform clinical work in psychology.

mpower Award

Hayley Winterberg, 16, of Phoenix, Arizona, was presented the mpower award by singer Ashley Miers for her exceptional efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues among America's youth. Hayley created what is now called Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment (MY LIFE)., which is made up of youth between the ages of 13 and 23 who have experience with mental health, substance use and/or foster care-related issues.

Legendary Leaders Awards

Mental Health America honored three affiliate leaders with Legendary Leadership Awards for their lasting contributions to the mental health field and work on the local and national stages: Ken Libertoff, executive director of the Vermont Association for Mental Health; Rose Mary Mohr, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas; and Richard Van Horn, president emeritus of Mental Health America of Los Angeles.

Volunteer, Innovation Awards

Sandra Rhodes, a volunteer at Mental Health America of Colorado (MHAC) was presented the Sandy Brandt Volunteer Service Award for her outstanding contribution to MHAC's Pro Bono program and her over 20 years of service to individuals who might not otherwise be able to access care.

Mental Health America of Hawai'i's “Healing the Trauma of War” program was presented the Innovation During Challenging Economic Times award. Made possible through the Mary Jane Ward Memorial Fund, the award recognizes the innovation and creativity of Mental Health America Affiliates in the face of funding challenges and the fallout of economically difficult times for the nation and their communities.

Legislators of the Year

U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) were presented with Legislators of the Year Awards during Capitol Hill Day for their leadership on mental health and substance use issues in Congress.

Media Awards

Sixteen awards were presented to journalists, writers and producers for excellence in reporting and portrayals of mental health issues. See a full of winners and links to their works here. ::

 

 

 

“Honoring talent within the media, is so very important to their craft and vital to our movement."

-Mental Health America