Network of Care - Mental Health

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Mental Health Hall of Fame

Mental Health Person of the Year Award

1987	Helen Teisher, founder of NAMI San Diego, passed away in 2003, leaving a legacy of passionate advocacy for the mentally ill. She founded Parents of Adult Schizophrenics and served on numerous national mental health committees and commissions, including the California Alliance for the Mentally Ill and its national board. She was a member of the board of Mental Health Association in San Diego County and in 1990 received the American Psychiatric Association's Warren Williams Award. She will be remembered for her wisdom, compassion and advocacy work to reduce the stigma of mental illness and improve the quality of care for persons struggling with mental illness.
1988	No single award was given for Person of the Year, but there were awards for several categories.
1989	No single award was given for Person of the Year, but there were awards for several categories.
1990	Areta Crowell, Ph.D., has made significant contributions to the management of mental health programs in San Diego and Los Angeles counties. After 21 years with Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, she served as Mental Health Director for San Diego County from 1988 to 1992. She returned to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health in 1992 to serve as Director of Mental Health until retiring in 1998. She has made numerous presentations, written articles on planning and delivery of mental health services and has served on many boards and projects benefiting mentally ill adults.
1991	Jane Fyer, a strong and passionate voice for client empowerment, has written articles about mental illness, advocacy, and de-stigmatization. She has actively participated in a variety of mental health organizations and support groups, including Clients and Others for Action (COFA), North Coastal AMI, Schizophrenia in Transition (SIT) Inc., the Client and Advisory Council, the San Diego Coalition for Mental Health and By Families.
1992	Jeannette Keil, one of the first to speak out as a client, has been actively involved in mental health advocacy and advisory committees and served on local and statewide boards of directors, including the Mental Health Association and Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She was a governor's appointee to the Mental Health Planning Council and worked as director of a local Compeer program and as employment specialist in a rehabilitation program serving individuals with mental illness. In 2004, she published a book, "Invitation to Wellness: A Message of Hope About Mental Illness," and is now an ordained minister.
1993	Dan Reese, a distinguished role model and advocate for the mentally ill, founded the Meeting Place, an innovative clubhouse that is a role model itself. With dedication to volunteering and advocacy, he was an inspiring lecturer and served a variety of organizations, including the California Network of Mental Health Clients and the Mental Health Board. The Dan Reese Award is given to honor the achievements of all mental health clients and to remember his legacy.
1994	Harold E. Mavritte, M.D., an effective leader in mental health programs, served San Diego County for 10 years as clinical director of San Diego County Mental Health Services (1985-1995). He was also the interim San Diego County Mental Health Director in 1992. Prior to 1985, Mavritte served Los Angeles County as assistant director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. During his tenures he was a passionate advocate for the mentally ill. He was responsible for improving services, particularly to those with a severe and persistent mental illness.
1995	Thomas L. Henley, M.D., was the supervising psychiatrist for North Inland for a number of years and later became Mental Health Regional Manager for the North Inland and North Coastal Regions. He worked closely with local chapters of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
1996	Maria Sardinas, ASCW, is a Professor of Social Work who has trained and mentored legions of young professionals. She has educated officials and the community and encouraged cultural competency in mental health services. Her advocacy is legendary. Her long-term commitment is to promoting patient rights, continuity of care, treating consumers as equals, including them in the decision-making process, and actively working toward decreasing the stigma of mental illness.
1997	William "Hobie" Hawthorne, Ph.D., is executive director of the Community Research Foundation, which operates crisis residential facilities and social rehabilitation programs. He advocates for alternatives to hospitalization, and as a researcher, he has been a leader in including client and family members as partners in the development of programs and systems of care. He is also among the first to hire clients.
1998	John M. Hood III, an articulate leader and client advocate, has been involved in policy making, research, planning, and advocacy in the mental health field for more than 20 years. He has served on boards, commissions and committees at the county and state levels. A role model for others, he has served as a peer counselor and actively worked to decrease the stigma of mental health. A talented person, he has taught art and writing at the Creative Arts Consortium.
1999	Richard Danford, patients' rights advocate, has served the mental health community for 22 years. Currently employed by Protect and Advocacy Inc. (PAI), he serves as the senior advocate for the grant-funded Health Advocacy Project (HAP). This pilot program focuses on health care and empowerment to adult, mentally disabled residents of board and care homes. He brings a wealth of experience to the position after serving for years as director of the Office of Patients' Rights in Sacramento and prior to that, as mental health program manager and co-founder of the Consumer Center for Health Education and Advocacy (CHEA). He served many years as the director of the Patient Advocacy Program at the University of San Diego Law School, and in1995, he was named Advocate of the Year in California. His volunteer activities include: Board of Directors of the San Diego County Mental Health Association, co-Founder and Board of Directors of the Mental Health Clients for Wellness and Recovery (MHCWR) and recent treasurer for the Coalition for Mental Health. An excellent musician, he sings and plays the guitar and often organizes musical performances at shelters and clubhouses. Judge James R. Millikin, retired judge of the Juvenile Court of San Diego County and the Family Court, and former presiding judge of the San Diego Superior Court, is known for spearheading reforms to reduce juvenile recidivism through drug treatment. He initiated actions to establish literacy remediation and other programs such as: CHOICE; Teen Recovery Centers; SARMS; SAFE Housing and the San Pasqual Academy for children in long-term foster care. His energy and leadership have led to strengthened services in the both the Juvenile System and in Mental Health Services through collaboration and partnerships.
2000	Margaret E. McCahill, M.D., is medical director of Family and Psychiatric Residency training at St. Vincent de Paul Village/UCSD School of Medicine and Director of Psychiatry, Behavioral Science and Cross-Cultural Curriculum at UCSD. With dual specialties in family medicine and psychiatry, she founded the Family Medicine/Psychiatric Program in 1997 to assist the homeless. This program is unique, serving consumer needs through holistic mind/body dynamics, environmental analyses, self-determination and family participation.
2001	Paula Landau-Cox, LCSW, is a tireless leader in County Mental Health Services administration whose accomplishments include: obtaining a $10.3 million grant to address the needs of the homeless mentally ill with a history of incarceration and substance abuse; a client-run warm line; and a plan to provide assistance with completing SSI applications. She has served as interim director in several departments and each time she has identified problems and resolved them. She systematically makes things happen in mental health.
2002	Karenlee Robinson, chief operating officer of Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital, is an integral part of the San Diego Mental Health mosaic. She motivates others to join her in working for equality and justice for those with mental illness. Her voice has been heard through her participation in many organizations, and she has testified in Sacramento on mental health legislation about the need of resources for long-term care.
2003	Roy Rodriguez, is a hospital administrator whose leadership and inspiration brought about a turnaround for Bayview Hospital and Villa View (re-named University Community Center). He is noted for his ability to facilitate partnerships to continue psychiatric services in other hospitals such as Adventist Health and Villa View. He has invited community leaders to help develop services to meet the needs of the ethnically and culturally diverse mid-city area. Examples of his tireless efforts include supporting the Bayview Clubhouse and developing the Successful Teens Active in Recovery (STAR) program so children at risk could receive substance abuse education and counseling. A supporter of the right of clients to make independent decisions, his programs reflect client choice and family therapy.
2004	Piedad Garcia, Ed.D., LCSW, director of Adult Systems of Care for County Mental Health Services, has helped shape the direction of the mental health services in San Diego County by identifying barriers to treatment and then developing innovative strategies and solutions. She advocates for a service delivery system that maintains client and family dignity and enables clients, through education and empowerment, to enter the community and function at their maximum capability. Since 1999, Garcia has been at the helm of implementation of the MHS System Redesign Plan, which includes initiatives to promote system change and improve service delivery. She has implemented quality programs and services that have received state and national attention. She has been a leader in the development of the Dual Diagnosis Consensus Charter, a design recognized as a model at state and federal levels. Garcia has served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Psychological Rehabilitation Services and the faculty of the SDSU School of Social Work.
2005	Tamara Stark, Head of Services for North County BPSR programs, began her career as a social worker assisting low-income families with children and then working with adults with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. She also served as a community liaison director for several area psychiatric hospitals. After serving on the Mental Health Board and as Co-chair of the North County Mental Health Collaborative for four years she continues to serve the community in North County NAMI (Inland & Coastal). For the past 10 years, she has served on the board at Copper Hill Independent Living. A role model for her both her staff and the community, Tamara's most recent accomplishments, include: work opportunities for consumers at the outpatient clubhouses: co-locating the County's Cooperative Program, Employment Services, with Pegasus West and Kinesis North; collaborating with One-stop Career centers to allow consumers access to employment opportunities; outreach to small businesses to promote hiring of consumers. Tamara successfully advocated for funding a position of a family advocate as part of the Youth Transition Case Management Contract, and she invites consumers and family members to actively participate on the advisory council. She supports and employs the Fountain House Clubhouse model at the Escondido Clubhouse and has integrated the Comprehensive, Continuous, Integrated System of Care model (CCISC) concepts into the existing BPSR model.
2006	Katie Astor, LCSW, currently holds the position of Chief, Children's Mental Health Services for Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) and Outpatient programs. Katie has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for 29 years and has also been a Program Manager for the County's Children's Mental Health Clinic in East County, AB2726 Mental Health Program Manager, and EPSDT Mental Health Program Manager during her distinguished career. Katie is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth experiencing mental health issues by championing innovative delivery approaches; incorporating interdisciplinary treatment approaches and facilitating the development of innovative programs to provide a hierarchy of service intensities to meet client needs. Katie has been a driving force behind the expansion of mental health services into school sites in San Diego County which has expanded from only 7 in 1997 to over 300 schools county-wide to Medi-Cal eligible children and youth. Katie currently oversees approximately 46 separate programs within Children's Mental Health and is dedicated to enhancing the quality and efficacy of service delivery. She requires that programs maximize family participation, encourages programs to hire consumers/family members where appropriate, and consistently encourages programs to provide culturally competent services. Katie has also been actively involved in the development of CADREs where providers are trained to offer dual diagnosis capable services and treat co-occurring mental health and substance abuse issues utilizing the Continuous Comprehensive Integrated System of Care (CCISC) model.
2007	John E. Milner, M.D., is a psychiatrist who has devoted his professional life to helping and treating patients with both psychiatric problems and addictions. Since 1970, he has been a pioneer in helping the community understand that mental illnesses and addictions are brain diseases that can occur together. He believes that few alcoholics or addicts with dual diagnosis can maintain sobriety unless their mental illness is treated in conjunction with a recovery program. He introduced the concept of including family in dual diagnosis treatment and consistently focuses on the family unit as part of the treatment process. He encourages families and friends to be active participants in treatment and decision-making. Over 20 years ago, Dr. Milner established Rancho L'Abri, a 30 bed, dual diagnosis residential treatment center in the East County. Under his ongoing leadership as Medical Director, Rancho L'Abri provides services for patients with dual and multiple diagnoses, many of whom have failed other treatment programs. Dr. Milner specializes in the treatment of underserved and special populations. As a general physician and internist, as well as a psychiatrist, Dr. Milner believes that brain diseases should be treated on par with heart, kidney, lung or other organ diseases. He frequently points out the disparity between the resources devoted to treating other organ diseases and those devoted to treating brain diseases. Along with other professors at UCLA, Dr. Milner has been at the forefront of developing a new technology, referenced electroencephalography (rEEG), to scientifically assess the usefulness of specific medications in treating persons who have failed multiple medications previously.
2008	Alfredo Aguirre, LCSW is the County of San Diego's Mental Health Director, a position he has held since 1999. In his initial position as Director of Child and Adolescent Services, he provided key community and County administrative leadership for the development of a community-based, comprehensive system of care for children and youth plus their families. His dedication to school-based services has led to over 300 schools in the county having mental health services available on-site. He worked closely with partner agencies, including the County's Probation department, child welfare, schools, family members and private providers to build a system to help youth achieve good outcomes in the home, community and schools. In the Adult/Older Adult arena, he has led the public mental health effort to continue local implementation of recovery-focused services based on bio-psychosocial rehabilitation. Included in this effort, he has worked to increase the capacity to serve individuals with co-occurring disorders, to close disparities for ethnic communities in seeking care, to reduce stigma and to establish integration of mental health services with primary care. Mr. Aguirre has shown leadership, diplomacy and fairness through an enormously complex set of planning and service application issues related to the local implementation of the Mental Health Services Act and the Mental Health Management Information System. His approachable manner and ability to bring stakeholders together to work collaboratively is a true gift to the behavioral health community.