Honors & Awards

Class of six selected for prestigious Webb Fellowship

Department News | November 27, 2024

Congratulations to Brittany Goldstein, MD, one of six new recipients of the 2024-2025 Webb Fellowship! The Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) created the William Webb Fellowship Program to foster the career development and leadership potential of advanced psychiatry residents and C-L Psychiatry fellows at an early stage in their career. Dr. Goldstein, one of our Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellows, has developed a trial that will investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an adjunctive mindfulness intervention for managing distress in patients seen by the C-L service at UW. Implementation of the study is funded by a Trainee Research Award through the department's Clinician Scientist Training Program.

“I have long been interested in using behavioral interventions to help patients with medical comorbidities," says Dr. Goldstein. This interest has developed in clinical settings, where she treated chronic pain and chronic fatigue, and research settings with grants for studies in postural tachycardia syndrome and inpatient C-L service.

The fellowship will allow Dr. Goldstein to build a broader network within the C-L Psychiatry community and bolster the regional and national recognition necessary to advance in an academic career. "Within academia, I hope one day to serve as a medical school psychiatry clerkship director," Dr. Goldstein says. "I have greatly valued the role of mentors in my personal and professional development. This program will not only open multiple sources of mentorship, it will also provide me with unique experiences that afford me the ability to mentor younger trainees.”

Joseph Becker Award for Outstanding Research Achievement

Department News | November 27, 2024

We’re pleased to announce that the winner of this year's Joseph Becker Research Award is Emma Parrish, MS, a psychology resident who’s part of the General Adult Track. Mentored by Sarah Kopelovich, PhD, the objective of Emma’s research is to evaluate effectiveness of a brief CBT for psychosis intervention on psychological recovery, cognitive flexibility, and progress. Congratulations, Emma!
  
The Joseph Becker, Ph.D. Award for Outstanding Research Achievement is an award established in recognition of the significant contributions of Dr. Becker to the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and to the Psychology Internship Program.
 
The establishment of this award honors Dr. Becker’s vision of a scientist-practitioner internship and his long-term presence as a model of the principles this embodies. The award further acknowledges his nationally recognized stature as a clinician-researcher, and as a strong, compassionate teacher and leader. In keeping with Dr. Becker’s vision, the purpose of this award is to stimulate quality research by rewarding an intern for independence, creativity, and intellectual depth in a research effort of the internship year.

Two faculty receive awards at ACLP meeting in Miami

Department News | November 27, 2024

More than a dozen members of our department traveled to Miami, FL for the annual Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) meeting. This year's meeting focused on the role of Consultation Liaison (C-L) Psychiatry in evidence-based approaches to whole health. The meeting offered innovations in how C-L Psychiatry can incorporate therapeutic lifestyle, nutritional, and complementary interventions alongside conventional psychiatric care to achieve optimal health and healing.

ACLP 2024 was an in-person meeting to foster inspiration and togetherness. The gathering provided a rigorous, energizing, and thought-provoking learning experience to inspire and rejuvenate every attendee in their work as educators, clinicians, administrators, and researchers.

Faculty and staff from our department were in attendance to present their work, network with peers, learn about latest advancements in the field, and recruit individuals interested in joining our department. Two faculty members were also honored with awards: Lydia Chwastiak, MD, MPH received the Wayne Katon Research Award for her work studying psychopathology and the medically ill. This award was renamed in 2015 in the spirit and memory or Wayne Katon, MD, a dedicated clinical researcher and pioneer in collaborative care. Another honoree was Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD who received the Don L. Lipsitt Award for Achievement in Collaborative Care. This award recognizes excellence and innovation in the integration of mental health with other medical care. Congratulations to both!

Christine Lee, PhD receives WA State Prevention Award of Excellence

Department News | November 18, 2024

Congratulations to Christine Lee, PhD, recipient of a WA State Health Care Authority’s Prevention Award of Excellence at the 2024 Prevention Summit! The Summit, which has been convening annually since the 1980s, is an enriching training and networking opportunity for youth, volunteers, and professionals engaged in health promotion and the prevention of substance misuse, violence, and other high-risk behaviors. The event provides high-quality workshops, forums, and hands-on learning opportunities designed to meet a variety of needs, including professional development for prevention professionals.

This year’s awards went to 13 remarkable people and organizations – youth and adult – who have impacted the landscape of behavioral health in Washington with their unwavering commitment to prevention. Dr. Lee, who was recognized in the Prevention Professional category, has worked for over 20 years to advance best practices in prevention. She has developed a brief intervention shown to successfully result in reductions in cannabis use and related consequences among college students. This program was developed, implemented, and tested in Washington. She also developed an adaptation to the program BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students) for community college students which can be delivered virtually. During the pandemic, this option was a game changer and resulted in lower estimated peak blood alcohol concentration and fewer drinks per week.

The full list of winners includes:

  • Michael Langer, Lifetime Achievement
  • Jackie Berganio, Lifetime Achievement
  • Luke Fincher, Young Adult Leadership
  • Katya Miltimore, Prevention Professional
  • Francisco Jimenez, Prevention Professional
  • Dr. Christina Lee, Prevention Professional
  • Jordan Newbug, Early Career Prevention Professional
  • Clarkston EPIC Leadership Team, Community Prevention Group
  • WSU 4-H Teens Helping Teens, Youth Leadership: Group or Club
  • Nexus Mental Health Hub for Schools, Youth Leadership: Group or Club
  • MV Hope Equity Team, Community Prevention Group
  • Sake Yakima Valley, Contributions to Prevention by a Community Organization
  • Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center, Contributions to Prevention by a Community Organization

The WA State Health Care Authority congratulates Dr. Lee and the other winners, “we are better because of you!”

Research on students and smartphones awarded most impactful paper

Department News | October 31, 2024

At Ubicomp 2024 in Melbourne, Australia, the paper StudentLife: Assessing mental health, academic performance, and behavioral trends of college students using smartphones received the 10-year Impact Award celebrating most impactful paper since Ubicomp 2014! Dror Ben-Zeev, PhD was co-author and collaborated with Rui Wang, a doctoral student at Dartmouth College who was supervised by the publication's senior author, Andrew Campbell, PhD.

With a unanimous vote from the committee, this award recognizes not only the paper's obvious influence in terms of being the most cited and downloaded paper from the conference, but also the influential linking of mental health to real world challenges such as mobile data mining. The dataset was also made available to the community, an exhibit of exemplary research practice. Congratulations on this fantastic achievement and a great multidisciplinary collaboration!

Distinguished School Social Work Advocate of the Year Award

Department News | October 31, 2024

Congratulations to the SMART Center, recipient of the 2024 School Social Work Advocate of the Year award from the Washington Association of School Social Workers (WASSW)! Their work represents a turning point in school social work in Washington state where dedication to the social work profession and collaboration to better support youth, have aligned to create lasting systemic change.

While presenting the award, WASSW’s Michelle Sorensen, MSW said, “In October 2022, a dedicated group came together to explore how to improve student access to school-based mental health services. Among the many ideas discussed, one stood out: expanding the role of school social workers to better support youth across Washington state. Through ongoing collaboration and, of course, the timely submission of a grant, SMART Center’s vision began to take shape, creating new opportunities for school social workers and, WASSW believes, fundamentally altering the profession’s trajectory in the state. Together, we tackle challenges and pave the way for increased school social worker employment and broader involvement, ensuring that more students and families receive the support they need.”

In attendance to accept the award were Nikki York, MSW, Workforce for Student Well-Being program operations specialist, Kelcey Schmitz, MSEd, director of training and technical assistance, and Rachel Barrett, MSW, Workforce for Student Wellbeing program manager. 

SMART Center 10th Anniversary Celebration

Department News | September 30, 2024

The SMART Center capped off a months-long celebration of its 10-year anniversary with a joyful evening event on September 12th at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture. SMART Center faculty, staff, colleagues, and partners enjoyed dinner while listening to remarks from UW Provost Tricia Serio, PhD, Psychiatry Chair Jürgen Unützer, MD, College of Education Dean Mia Tuan, PhD, as well as present and past SMART Center Directors Aaron Lyon, PhD, Jill Locke, PhD, and Doug Cheney, PhD. SMART Center debuted an anniversary video as well as a 10-year report documenting its many accomplishments over the past decade. The evening culminated with the presentation of awards to: 

  • Zack Siddeek, MSW — The ARC of King County: Community Partner Award  
  • Lisa Callan — Washington State Representative: Legislative Champion Award 
  • Kurt Hatch, EdD — Faculty Director and Professor of Educational Administration, UW Tacoma: Boundary Breaker Award  
  • Jeannie Larberg, PhD, NCC — Former Director, Whole Child Counseling Services & MTSS-B, Sumner-Bonney Lake School District: District Champion Award
  • Johnny Phu, MSW — Director Student Service, Lake Washington School District: District Champion Award 
  • Elizabeth McCauley, PhD — Associate Director, Child Psychiatry UW/Seattle Children’s; Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences; Adjunct in Pediatrics & Psychology: Lifetime Achievement Award

AIMS Center 20th Anniversary Celebration

Department News | September 30, 2024

At the AIMS Center, we were thrilled to celebrate our 20th Anniversary with friends and colleagues in September. For the past two decades, we’ve supported diverse healthcare organizations in integrating behavioral health services into medical settings. It has been an honor to play a part in improving population health by expanding access to integrated care. As pioneers of the Collaborative Care Model, we have learned a lot and to mark this important milestone we’ve been sharing insights, check out our Lessons Learned to tap into our wealth of experience. We thank you all for your collaboration over the past 20 years, and look forward to continuing to learn and grow together for decades to come!

2025 PRITE Fellowship Awardee

Department News | September 30, 2024

Congratulations to Megan Lee, MD on being awarded the 2025 PRITE Fellowship! This two-year fellowship from the American College of Psychiatrists is awarded to only two residents per year. Megan will serve on the PRITE Editorial Board and participate in the question writing process for the annual PRITE exam. Please join us in congratulating her on this outstanding honor!

AHSR Early Career Investigator Award

Department News | September 30, 2024

Congratulations to Brittany Blanchard, PhD, recipient of the Addiction Health Services Research (AHSR) Early Career Investigator Award! This award recognizes scholars with early achievement and exceptional promise for future contributions to addiction health services research. As part of the award, Brittany will be traveling to San Francisco to attend the AHSR Conference in October.