Presented by: Dr. Arthur Evans, Commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Service
1ST Place: Dr. Judith S. Beck and the Beck Institute. The Beck Institute is a leading international source for training, therapy, and resources in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). CBT has grown into an unparalleled hub for CBT excellence and offers online resources for a worldwide audience, provides therapy out of their Philadelphia headquarters, and runs unmatched training workshops for medical and mental health professionals and organizations. Judy is deserving of the award because of her pioneering efforts and leadership in giving the world a new model leading to create healthy individuals.
Dr. Beck observes, “The Beck Institute has a compelling mission to promote excellence in Cognitive Behavior Therapy worldwide. Finding ways to meet the diverse needs of our many constituents requires a level of innovation that we put into practice every day. Being recognized for innovative thought and action is an honor.”
2nd Place: Nadia Dowshen, MD, faculty member at PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Director of Adolescent HIV Services in the Craig Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine at CHOP, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. As a researcher at PolicyLab at CHOP and director of CHOP Adolescent HIV Services in the Craig Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, Dr. Nadia Dowshen creates innovative mobile health solutions to reduce high-risk sexual behavior, improve sexually-transmitted infection (STI) and HIV screening, and promote better health maintenance for adolescents with HIV. Dr. Dowshen’s research portfolio, “Positively Connected for Health (PC4H),” engages adolescents through mobile health technologies to deliver interventions to HIV-positive in real time and at places where adolescents need support as they go about their daily lives. Dr. Dowshen is deserving of this award because she strives to eliminate the isolation and barriers the most vulnerable adolescents encounter through innovative mobile health solutions that account for the environment in which these youths live.
Dr. Dowshen states, “I’m honored and humbled to be nominated among people doing such amazing work to improve the mental and physical well-being of Philadelphians. I'm extremely grateful to the other members of my clinical and research teams at CHOP and the young people who we serve and inspire us.”
3rd Place: Tony Valdes, Children’s Crisis Treatment Center. Tony and CCTC passionately serve the emotional needs of children and families at risk beginning in early childhood. CCTC meets children where they are and helps them to reach their full potential regardless of their challenges. CCTC strives to provide a safe and welcoming environment in which every child is given the opportunity to thrive. Tony is always the first to lead in the advocacy fight on behalf of the provider community to improve services and leverage resources for the children and families of Greater Philadelphia.
Mr. Valdes contributes “My hope is that receiving this award will affirm for our staff at CCTC and the families we serve, that children can heal from traumatic experiences. As that message ripples throughout our communities, it will restore a sense of hope in a brighter future”.