The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation recently announced that two extraordinary mental health advocates, UTCSW Board of Visitors member Altha J. Stewart, M.D. and Robert van Voren, FRCPsych (HON), have won the 2022 Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health. Both recipients are dedicated to serving people disadvantaged by structural racism and a lack of human rights.
Stewart has dedicated her career to helping the most disadvantaged and underserved people in our society who are living with serious mental illnesses. A pioneering voice in America on structural racism and its impact on mental health treatment for people of color, Stewart combines her formidable leadership skills with her fierce sense of fairness and decency. She used her presidency at the American Psychiatric Association to eliminate barriers for the most vulnerable and address systematic racial inequities that often make it difficult for people of color to access mental health treatment. She has also authored numerous publications on the determinants of disparities in mental health treatment.
Stewart is a longtime advocate for better behavioral and mental health services for young people. Her work with the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being aims to promote a trauma-informed culture that focuses on preventing violence and trauma to children, providing help to children exposed to violence, offering peaceful options for resolving conflict, and creating a climate that supports children and fosters collaboration among service providers.
Click here to read more about the recipients