Treatment Team Awards

Advocacy

1st place – George Handran

Boston, Massachusetts

In 2000, George Handran was personally selected by Sidney Baer to oversee the Sidney R. Baer Foundation, a private, grant-making organization established specifically to address the needs of those battling severe mental illness.  Since that time, Mr. Handran has gone above and beyond simply reviewing grant requests.  He personally visits each applicant’s site and meets with executive directors and board members to learn about their objectives and goals, and then he interacts with consumers served by the program. He believes his personal mission is to find the programs and research projects that will best meet the needs of those living with serious mental illness.  To that end, Mr. Handran has fought beside doctors, researchers, social workers and consumers in the battle to end stigma associated with mental illness. 

Clinical Medicine

1st place – Ananda Pandurangi, M.D.

Richmond, Virginia

Through his practice of nearly 30 years, Dr. Ananda Pandurangi has become a steward of mental health consumers, an ally of medical professionals, and an international leader in the field of psychiatry. Serving as Director of Inpatient Services and Chair of the Division of Inpatient Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Pandurangi is directly involved in all teaching and clinical training programs, and has advocated for and obtained a commitment from the University health system to develop a dedicated psychiatric emergency unit. Since the early 1980s, he has involved himself in regional, statewide and international patient care, research and advocacy. Currently, he is the director of the international partnership program between Virginia Commonwealth University and Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India.

2nd place – Diversion Services - Crisis Stabilization Unit

Mental Health Cooperative

Nashville, Tennessee

Diversion Services – Crisis Stabilization Unit is a program of The Mental Health Cooperative (MHC), an agency that incorporates intensive case management, clinic services and 24-hour emergency psychiatric services into an integrated system of care.  In 2007, the MHC made a commitment to reducing the burden on psychiatric hospitals, emergency rooms and jails, by providing early intervention through the Crisis Stabilization Unit. Clients receive a mental health and overall medical assessment, counseling, medication management and monitoring, group therapies and crisis prevention planning. The program also demonstrates a commitment to excellence in cultural competency through their in-house access to six languages, including Armenian, French, Russian, Spanish, the Nigerian language Yoruba and Sign Language.

Education

1st place – Pathways to Recovery: A Strengths Recovery Self-Help Workbook

Lawrence, Kansas

A key resource since 2003, Pathways to Recovery: A Strengths Recovery Self-Help Workbook assists readers to explore their own turnaround and recovery, and set goals across 10 domains of life, including creating a home, working, nurturing and building a social circle. From the beginning, the development of Pathways to Recovery has relied on the experience and contributions of over 100 Kansas consumers. Specifically, these individuals participated in the original advisory committee and served as editors of the publication. In addition, they attended focus groups, shared their recovery stories and shaped both the information and language of the workbook.  In 2004, the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation named Pathways to Recovery one of the top three recovery education tools.

Employment

1st place – Growing Grounds Vocational Advancement Program

San Luis Obispo, California

For 25 years, Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA), a nonprofit agency dedicated to helping individuals live, work and grow in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, has operated the Growing Farm of San Luis Obispo.  The farm offers a combination of horticultural therapy and vocational training for individuals battling mental illness, providing true employment opportunities. In 2006, TMHA created The Growing Grounds Vocational Advancement Program to offer a multi-step vocational training service for adults with mental illness, the only one of its kind available in Central California. The program offers a myriad of services and opportunities, including training in work readiness, a job and paycheck, vocational training in all aspects of agriculture, marketing, presentation, sales, and more. The program serves more than 100 clients annually and represents over $200,000 in annual produce, flower and nursery sales.

Housing

1st place – Residential Housing and Support Services - Places for People

St. Louis, Missouri

Since 1972, Places for People has provided innovative and successful housing programs as part of their overall community support services for people living with serious mental illness.  Building on the “Housing First” approach that has evolved over time in the social service sector, Places for People offers a wide array of housing options followed by treatment for mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse, and/or medical disorders. The organization’s housing options include emergency housing, affordable housing, and support for people living independently in the community and more. Annually, Places for People helps over 350 individuals find and maintain safe and secure housing.

2nd place – Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas Residential Care

Wichita, Kansas

Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas (MHASCK) Residential Care provides safe, affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments for people living with mental illness. Since 1989, when Mental Health Reform was initiated in Kansas, the statewide goal has been to develop community resources to provide housing that would help individuals build productive lives. For nearly 20 years, MHASCK Residential Care, Inc. has addressed this need through housing that offers an array of residential options adaptable to individual needs. The program also offers support services that help ensure successful independent living; recovery goals are incorporated in the services and focused on each individual’s personal strengths.  

Social Support

1st place – TrueAcceptance.com

Albuquerque, New Mexico

When two clinical social workers reported that many of their clients living with schizophrenia, bipolar and severe depression were lonely, isolated and had no social support, a new idea was born. Founded in 2008, TrueAcceptance.com is a free dating and friendship community for adults with mental illness. Members of the website can create a profile and chat with other individuals, giving them the opportunity to be themselves in a stigma-free environment.  TrueAcceptance.com has more than 850 members and is on its way to becoming international, as consumers all over the world show an interest in joining their social network.

2nd place –A Partnership for Parents with Mental Illnesses and Their Families

Employment Options, Inc. 

Marlborough, Massachusetts

Since 1995, Employment Options, Inc. (Options) consumers and staff members have partnered with researchers, parents and family members from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) to develop social supports for parents with serious mental illness and their families. Coined ‘A Partnership for Parents with Mental Illnesses and Their Families,’ the program has over the years translated parents’ needs into effective social supports for family life in the community. Parents have expressed ultimate gratitude for the range of social services offered through the partnership; one mother said, “It’s like I’m walking on a tight rope, and they are the net for me.”

2nd place – Severely Mentally Ill Reintegration Program

Frankfort, Kentucky

In operation for nearly 10 years, the Severely Mentally Ill Reintegration Program was developed by the state of Kentucky in response to the high rate of offenders with severe mental illness, and has successfully served hundreds of offenders returning to the community. Through the program, a Reintegration Specialist works directly with offenders prior to release to ensure referrals are in place for community mental health services.  Once the offender is released, the Reintegration Specialist is available to provide additional support by phone or through community visits to help secure home placements and provide general support. 

Consumer Awards

Achievement

1st place – Jason West

Los Angeles, California

Jason West’s ongoing achievements as a consumer and employee have proven his ability to succeed in life despite diagnoses of cerebral palsy and schizophrenia. For 13 years, Mr. West has worked in the behavioral healthcare field at Pacific Clinics where he serves as a mentor and role model for consumers and staff alike.  Specifically, he works as a Peer Partner on the staff of the Pacific Clinics William H. Compton Wellness Center in Pasadena, where he assists consumers by facilitating self-help groups. He was recently honored for his efforts in April, when he received the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare’s 2009 Award of Excellence in Consumer and Family Advocacy for his outstanding ability to advocate on behalf of those overcoming mental health challenges. He has been self-supporting for 10 years, living on his own and enjoying his friends and activities outside of work.

2nd place – Marcus White

Culver City, California

When he was in his teens, Marcus White was in jail while seeking treatment for psychosis – but today he is a healthy, independent community leader, working to help young adults adjust to and manage mental illness. Through his tough five-year transition into a self-supporting individual, Mr. White remained committed to treatment and kept a persevering and positive attitude.  As a result, he has held a job for two years at Daniel’s Place, a Los Angeles based organization for young people experiencing mental illnesses, where he brings members together in activities and discussion groups. He is a supportive force for both new and returning members, helping them move forward, and he continues to make a strong impact on the organization.  

Artistic Contribution

The Athens Photographic Project (APP) is a nonprofit program that provides mental health recovery support to individuals living with mental illness by offering photography as a tool for personal growth and artistic-expression.  The program makes clear the impact that fine arts participation has on the reintegration process, and has expanded both where and how mental health recovery support is offered. Since its inception, the APP has held a continuous stream of 10-week photography classes and annual group exhibitions. The classes, both introductory and advanced, allow the APP to serve participants with no previous experience in the arts, and guide them through continued emotional, creative, social, and technical skill building during their recovery.

2nd place – Philip Brubaker

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in college, Philip Brubaker has refused to let his illness control his life. Since 2001, Mr. Brubaker has returned to school and earned a degree in media studies, has moved from the shelter of his parents’ home into his own apartment, and obtained a full-time job as a corporate videographer.  Furthermore, Mr. Brubaker has managed his own health and medication compliance so well that he has remained stable with no hospitalizations for four years. He has recently produced a documentary film, “Brushes with Life: The Journey of Art,” which focuses on the positive journey of recovery and gives a voice to those who struggle with mental illness. The film was recently shown to the Occupational Therapy Master’s Program at Winston-Salem State University and is soon to be shown to students of “Mental Illness in American Society” in the Duke University Talent Identification Program for high school students.