The American Orthopsychiatric Association has a distinguished history of support for the application of mental health research and related professional service to the public interest. Ortho seeks to recognize exemplary work consistent with its values and, in particular, to give encouragement to students in the mental health disciplines who are engaged in:

• the creation of humane social policy
• the protection of human rights
• the prevention of mental health problems
• and the improvement of mental health services, especially for disadvantaged populations.

Each year, Ortho presents several awards that recognize distinguished contributions to mental health and social justice, including the following: 

The Blanche L. Ittleson Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the delivery of children’s services and the promotion of children’s mental health.

2007 Blanche L. Ittleson Award Recipient
David A. Wolfe, PhD
University of Toronto
Honored for his outstanding achievement in research and program development in both prevention and treatment of traumatic stress in childhood and adolescence.

Past Ittleson Award Winners: 

2006 Ittleson Award Recipient
Edward Zigler, PhD
Department of Psychology, Yale
Honored for his pioneering efforts to develop school- based centers of community and support for families of young children.

2005 Ittleson Award Recipient
Joyce Epstein, PhD, Director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Center for Social Organization of Schools 

2005 Ittleson Award Recipient
Sandra L. Christenson, PhD, Birkmaier Professor of Educational Leadership, University of Minnesota. Epstein and Christenson

The Max Hayman Award honors distinguished scholarship in the mental health disciplines that contributes to the elimination of genocide and the remembrance of the Holocaust.

2007 Max Hayman Award Recipient

Carlinda Monteiro
Christian Children’s Fund
Honored for her creative integration of African and Western approaches to the treatment of war-affected children and families in Angola. 

Past Hayman Award Winners:

2006 Hayman Award Recipient

Ervin Staub, PhD
Department of Psychology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Honored for his prolific scholarship on the causes of genocide which has led to action research on forgiveness and reconciliation, most notably among community groups in Rwanda.
Dr. Staub received his award at the Ortho Awards Symposia at the Institute for Psychiatric Services, October 7th, in New York City, where he spoke about his work.

2005 Hayman Award Recipient

Ferid Agani, MD, MA
Member of Parliament, Kosovo
Honored for his sensitivity, courage and vision in building a system of mental health services to facilitate the recovery of people traumatized during the armed conflict in Kosovo.

The Marion Langer Award recognizes distinction in social advocacy and the pursuit of human rights.

2007 Marion Langer Award Recipient

M. Brinton Lykes, MDiv, PhD
Boston College
Honored for her thoughtful application of a psychology of liberation to the conceptualization and application of human rights.

Past Langer Award Winners:

2006 Langer Award Recipient

Felton Earls, MD
Harvard Medical School
Honored for his pioneering work on collective efficacy as a factor in the safety, health, and dignity of children, families, and communities and for his international leadership in pursuit of children’s right to health.

2005 Langer Award Recipient

Michael Wessells, PhD,
Department of Psychology
Randolph-Macon College
Honored for his tireless efforts to preserve family and community relationships for children in zones of armed conflict or natural disaster.

The Vera Paster Award recognizes an outstanding graduate student or a post-doctoral resident or fellow in a mental health discipline for exemplary work in research and/or public service that promises to generate or apply knowledge that may contribute to the advancement or empowerment of people of color.

2007 Vera Paster Award Recipient

Sherri Simpson, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
Honored for work in expanding mental health services for African Americans and, in particular, leading in programs to reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.

Past Paster Award Winners:

2006 Paster Award Recipient

Kelly D. Taylor-Richardson, MSW MS
Kelly D. Taylor-Richardson is honored for work as a doctoral student in the Community Research and Action Program in the Department of Human and Organizational Development in Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Nominator: Dr. Rhonda BeLue.

2006 Paster Award Recipient

Janice D. Cho, MSW
Janice D. Cho is honored for work undertaken as a student in the School of Social Work at the University of California, Los Angeles. Nominator: Dr. Alfreda P. Iglehart.
Ms. Richardson & Ms. Cho presented their award-winning research at the Ortho Symposia at the Institute for Psychiatric Services, October 7th, in New York City.

2005 Paster Award Recipient

Rupaleem Bhuyan, MA
Honored for her application of diverse disciplines to the enhancement of the quality of life for community residents, especially those who have immigrated from other parts of the world.