APA honored three outstanding community mental health programs at the Achievement Awards presentations at the opening session of APA's 1996 Institute on Psychiatric Services. Two programs, both focusing on the care of women, shared the Gold Award, which includes a plaque and $10,000 prize funded by the Roerig Division of U.S. Pharmaceuticals Group, Pfizer Inc. The plaques were presented by Michael P. Weissberg, M.D., chair of the 1996 Achievement Awards Board. The grant checks were presented by Ellen Richter, Ph.D., senior associate director for medical research at Roerig.

The University of Illinois at Chicago Women's Program was recognized for its exemplary service to mentally ill women through clinical care, education of health care professionals, and research. The Family Health Program of the Center for Mental Health Inc. in Washington, D.C., was recognized for its family-centered outpatient care that integrates mental health and substance abuse treatment, primary health care, and social services for pregnant and postpartum women, their children, and families.

The third program honored was FACES Maimonides Theatre Network for Teens, a project of the department of psychiatry at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. It received a Certificate of Significant Achievement for its improvisational theatre productions by and for teens about violence, AIDS, drugs, teen pregnancy, and other issues affecting the community.

APA has presented the Achievement Awards each year since 1949 to programs that have made an outstanding contribution to the mental health field, that provide a model for other programs, and that have overcome substantial obstacles. Applications for the 1997 competition may be obtained by faxing Mary Ward at APA at (202) 682-6348.

(Psychiatric News, December 6, 1996)