Awards & Recognition

Awards and Recognition

Each year, PRA and PRF recognize outstanding practitioners and consumers whose contributions to the field of psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery are fueling the growth of the profession.

PRA Dincin Fellows

The PRA Dincin Fellowship Program recognizes members who have made significant and sustained contributions to the art and science of psychiatric rehabilitation. PRA Dincin Fellows have reached a level of distinction in the professional practice of psychiatric rehabilitation and have advanced the field through their involvement in PRA, service-based programs, scientific inquiry, advocacy, and/or chapter development. It is an honor to recognize these individuals through the PRA Dincin Fellowship Program:

• William Anthony, PhD
• Nora Barrett, MSW, ACSW, CPRP
• Mary Alice Brown Johnston, PhD, CPRP
• Judith Cook, PhD
• Betty Dahlquist, CPRP
• Jerry Dincin, PhD
• Bev Disen, MS, CPRP
• Kenneth J. Gill, PhD, CPRP
• R. Scott Graham, CPRP
• Mary Huggins, CPRP
• Eileen Joseph, CPRP
• Martha Long, CPRP
• Lucille Mauro, CPRP
• Donald Naranjo, PhD
• Patricia Nemec, PsyD, CRC, CPRP
• Anita Pernell-Arnold, PhD
• Carolyn Peterson, CPRP
• David Pilon, CPRP
• E. Sally Rogers, ScD
• Harvey Rosenthal
• Bob Schuler, CPRP
• Anthony Zipple, ScD, MBA, CPRP

Awards of Distinction

Great people and organizations make a significant difference in the psychiatric rehabilitation community. Exceptional leaders inspire others, set the pace for performance, excel the movement and nurture success. PRA celebrates and recognize the accomplishments of our community through the Awards of Distinction and Dincin Fellowship Program.

Recipients are recognized each year at the Annual Wellness and Recovery Summit. 

Congratulations to the 2017 Awards of Distinction Recipients

Armin Loeb Award  Larry Davidson, Ph.D

John Beard Award Lisa Razzano, Ph.D., CPRP

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner Award David Paone, M.Ed., CPRP

Leroy Spaniol Educator Award Meaghan Stacy, Ph.D.

The Isaiah Uliss Advocate Award is presented in memory of Isaiah Uliss, a revolutionary advocate for recovery. PRA strongly values the incredible contribution people in recovery make to the advancement of psychiatric rehabilitation.  Each year, PRA presents the Isaiah Uliss Award to an individual who is or has been in recovery from a psychiatric disorder, whose leadership is exemplary in the advocacy for, operation of, and/or sustaining of community programs and supports.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS: Isaiah Uliss (1991), David Gettys (1992), Mark Davis (1993), Joan Nobiling (1994), Jay Mahler (1995), J. Rock Johnson (1996), Laura Van Tosh (1997), Gayle Bluebird (1998), Colleen Jasper (1999), Joseph Rogers (2000), Moe Armstrong (2001), Bill Compton (2002), Mark Welsh (2003), Larry Fricks (2004), Joe Kerouac (2005), Maureen Marrin, CPRP(2006), Lyn Legere, MS, CPRP (2007), Renee Kopache, MS, CPRP (2008), Jacob Bucher (2009), Sherry Jenkins Tucker (2010), John Farmer (2011), John Travers, CPRP (2012), Paul Ottenstein (2013), Peter Ashenden (2014), Angela Ostholthoff-Hamblin, CPRP (2015), Howard Trachtmas (2016)

The John Beard Award is presented in memory of Mr. John Beard, who was Executive Director of New York's Fountain House for 28 years. Through Mr. Beard's work, the Club House model was established and concepts that are seminal in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation were developed. The John Beard Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions, which have led to decisive, lasting and far-reaching advances in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS: Leonard Stein, M.D. (1989), Esther Montanez (1990), Irvin Rutman, PhD, CPRP (1991), James Schmidt (1992), Jerry Dincin, PhD (1993), Steven Fields (1994), William Anthony, PhD (1995), Carolyn Peterson, CPRP (1996), Vera Mellen, CPRP (1997), Marianne Farkas (1998), Robert B.Harvey (1999), Martha Long, CPRP(2000), Harvey Rosenthal (2001), Marshall Rubin, CPRP (2002), Mary Huggins, CPRP (2003), Anthony Zipple, CPRP(2004), Kenneth Gill, PhD, CPRP (2005), Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, (2006), Pat Nemec, Psy.D., CPRP (2007), Judith Cook, PhD, (2008), Anthony Campinell,Ph.D (2009), David Carroll, PhD (2010), Mark Ragins, MD (2011), Phil Floyd, CPRP (2012), Eugene Johnson, MSW, MBA (2013), Shaheen Ahmed (2014), JodiSmith, CPRP (2015), Kim Johnson (2016), Lisa Razzano, Ph.D, CPRP 92017)

The Irvin Rutman Award is presented in recognition of the exemplary contributions of Dr. Irvin D. Rutman, Founding President of PRA and recipient of the 1991 Beard Award. Dr. Rutman was the Executive Director of Horizon House for over 30 years and served as President of Matrix Research Institute. He has played a key role in the development of the psychiatric rehabilitation profession. The Irvin Rutman Award is presented to an executive director of a psychiatric program who has demonstrated leadership in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation, as well as in the promoting the mission of PRA to grow and train the recovery workforce.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS: Brenda Singer (1997), Michael Stoltz (1998), Marvin Weinstein, CPRP (2000), Eileen Joseph, CPRP (2001), Beth Stoneking, CPRP (2002), Jerry Dincin (2003), Toni Wolf (2004), Mary Alice Brown, CPRP (2005), Regina Koch-Mart (2006), William Taylor, (2007), R Donald Naranjo, Ph.D (2008), Cory Storch, CPRP (2009), Dennis Rice (2010), Anthony Zipple, CPRP (2011), Deborah Delman (2012), Paul Taylor, CPRP (2013), Jean Toole, MS, CPRP (2014), Debbie Pavick (2015), Diane Gould (2016)

The Armin Loeb Award is presented in memory of Dr. Armin Loeb who served as Director of Research of Horizon House in Philadelphia for approximately 20 years. He was the first full time research director of any psychiatric rehabilitation agency and conducted research and evaluation studies, which have served as models in the field. The Armin Loeb Award is presented to an individual who has conducted the best-designed and most useful research (integration of research literature, clinical research, evaluative research, and/or applied research) in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation in the preceding year or years.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS: Mary Ann Test, PhD (1989), John Strauss, M.D. and Courtenay Harding, PhD (1990), Gerard Hogarty (1991), Paula Goering, PhD (1992), Gary Bond, PhD (1993), John Brekke, PhD (1994), Judith Cook, PhD (1995), Laura Blankertz, PhD (1996), Robert E. Drake (1997), Carol T. Mowbray, CPRP (1998), Phyllis Solomon (1999), Sally Rogers (2000), Paul Arns (2001), Anthony Lehman (2002), Susan Pickett-Schenk (2003), David Pilon, PhD, CPRP (2004), Lisa Razzano, PhD (2005), Joanne Nicholson, PhD (2006), Kim T. Mueser, PhD (2007), Steven Silverstein, PhD (2008), Dori S. Hutchinson, Sc.D. (2010), Richard Goldberg, PhD (2011), Alicia Lucksted, PhD (2012), Benjamin Druss, MD, MPH (2013), Linda Teplin, PhD (2014), Maryann Davis (2015), Alexis Henry (2016), Larry Davidson, Ph.D (2017)

The Carol T. Mowbray Early Career Research Award is presented in memory of Dr. Carol Mowbray. The award is presented to an emerging social scientist, who has independently conducted high quality research addressing an issue of importance to psychiatric rehabilitation practice or policy, in collaboration with a psychiatric rehabilitation agency or organization. The purpose of the award is to recognize the efforts of new psychiatric rehabilitation researchers, and to promote research partnerships between universities and the Psychiatric Rehabilitation practice community.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS: Alexis D. Henry (1998), Alicia Lucksted (1999), Dorothy Hutchinson (2000), Michelle Salyers (2001), Katie Weaver-Randall (2002), Catana Brown (2003) , Angela Rollins (2004), Sandra Resnick (2005), Chyrell Bellamy (2006), Sandra Wilkniss (2007), Kim MacDonald Wilson, Sc.D., CRC, CPRP, (2008), Lorna Moser, Ph.D (2009), Peggy Swarbrick, PhD, OTR, CPRP (2010), Crystal Glover, PhD (2012), Vanessa Vorhies Klodnick, LCSW (2014), Laysha Ostrow (2016)

The LeRoy Spaniol Educator Award is presented in honor of Dr. Spaniol who was executive publisher of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal for twenty‐three years and served as an advisor to many PRA members who, in turn, made significant contributions to the field of psychiatric rehabilitation. The award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions toward educating and mentoring a new generation of leaders. These contributions may be in the area of teaching, training, and/or development of educational materials used to develop a competent workforce.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS: Jessica Jonikas (2011), Maria E. Restrepo-Toro, MS, CPRP (2012), Tracey Sutton, LCSW (2013), Melanie Kinley (2014), Arlene Solomon, CPRP (2015), Anne Sullivan-Soydan, Sc.D., CPRP (2015), Peter Basto (2016), Meaghan Stacy, Ph.D (2017)

The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner Award is presented to an individual who is a direct service provider (i.e., case manager, employment specialist) and has demonstrated dedication and excellence in providing psychiatric rehabilitation services. PRA strongly values the contribution of psychiatric rehabilitation practitioners in supporting individuals with mental illnesses to recover.

The Multicultural Award recognizes and honors a researcher or practitioner that demonstrates and advocates for cultural competence (publications, committee work, community activism or service, and/or collaborative spirit). This individual should be skilled in demonstrating cultural competency and PRA principles of diversity for themselves and the people that they serve; regardless of their own culture, background, beliefs, heritage, etc. This individual contributes to the knowledge regarding interactions of culture and psychiatric disability and of the implicit role of culture within an individual’s recovery.

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS: Marie Hamilton, LCSW, MPH (2013), Deborah Wilcox, PhD (2014); Nesha Breashears (2015), Nicole Pashka (2016)