Awards

The 2008 MMHA Annual Meeting and Banquet will be held in conjunction with its conference on May 30-31, 2008.  If you have nominations for awards, please send them to jana@montanamentalhealth.org by May 1st.

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS

Kay Dorr, Ph.D. from Glasgow received the award for Long-Term Service to Mental Health. Dr. Dorr has been employed continuously since 1972 by the Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center. In his nomination letter, Frank Lane, Executive Director of EMCMHC said, "Kay Dorr is a shining example of what the consummate community mental health professional should be."

Patty Lavin, APRN from Miles City was named the Outstanding Service Provider. Patty has a demonstrated track record in the nursing profession, having progressed from A.A.N. to A.B.S.N., to MRSN, and to an APRN psychiatric nurse specialist with prescription privileges. She currently provides medication management services to the Miles City and Glendive offices of EMCMHC.

The Montana Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) received an Outstanding Program award for its mental health provider curriculum and training. The trainers are Sandy Mihelish, Kathleen Driscoll, Sally Ray and Kathy Bartsch. Paul Meyer, Director of the Western Montana Community Mental Health Center says, "They are smart, committed, empathetic and were exceptionally well-received by our staff." NAMI Montana also provides excellent training on Family-to-Family for family members and In Our Own Voices, a curriculum presented by persons who have a mental illness.

The Montana State Hospital Resident's Council also received an Outstanding Program award. The Council has been providing peer support to patients for a year and a half. Members meet weekly to discuss matters of importance to hospital patients. They have also provided valuable input to the administration on policies and procedures. Support for the Council is provided by Polly Peterson, Ph.D., Chief of the Psychology Department at Montana State Hospital.

Milt Markuson, Carter County Commissioner, received the award for Outstanding Board Member. He has been a member of the Eastern Montana Mental Health Center's Board since 1990 and has also been a long-time member of the Montana Association of Counties' Health and Human Services Committee. He travels many miles to fulfill his duties and is a fine example of a committed rural board member.

Kathy Beason of Miles City was the recipient of the Outstanding Administrative Support award. Kathy is the Data Processing Coordinator of EMCMHC. In his award nomination, Frank Lane said, " ...Kathy's expertise saves EMCMHC thousands of dollars every year. Kathy supervises two other staff members plus does the job of two people herself."

At the MMHA Annual Meeting held June 7, 2003 at the Cottonwood Inn in Glasgow, Montana, the Charles Averill Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Joan Stockton of Grass Range, MT. Joan is a longtime employee at the Lewistown Mental Health Center. She has worked for the rights and dignity of the mentally ill for over 20 years and has spent numerous hours well beyond the workday to educate people on mental illness. She has provided education on both community and state levels and has helped start NAMI organizations throughout the state to help support the mentally ill and their families. She empowers those who struggle to see hope and learn that they can live with their illnesses. She is respected by her peers for her professionalism and compassion. She possesses a true gift to the mental health profession.

The annual Cliff Murphy Advocate of the Year award was not given this year since a suitable candidate was not nominated.