ACAMH is keen to recognise individuals whose work advances our understanding of mental health in children and young people – blue skies science as well as ways services and practices can foster mental health. The ACAMH President’s Medal is bestowed annually for ‘outstanding contribution to research and scholarship related to mental health in children and adolescents’. The first was given in June 2018 to Professor Eric Taylor, a child psychiatrist and former Chair of ACAMH.
In 2017 the Board asked Kathy Sylva, Stephen Scott, Edmund Sonuga-Barke, Kapil Sayal and Martin Pratt to consider other awards and prizes to reward work of the highest quality, increase our visibility, and encourage wider membership. This small working group reviewed awards given by similar organisations and also the rationale for ACAMH’s venture into this terrain. They have created five awards to be given for the first time in 2019. They are;
Eric Taylor ‘Translational Research into Practice’ Award
Panel; CAMH Editors plus ACAMH Board
Dorothy Bishop ‘JCPP Best Paper’ Award for any paper published by the JCPP in the previous year
Panel; Editor in Chief plus Deputy Editor in Chief plus ACAMH Board
CAMH Best Paper Award for any paper published in CAMH in the previous year.
Panel; CAMH Editors plus ACAMH Board
David Cottrell ‘Education of CAMH Professionals’ Award for outstanding contribution to the education/training of child and adolescent mental health professionals
Panel; Mark Lovell and Stephen Scott plus ACAMH Board
Kathy Sylva ‘Rising Star’ Award for best scientific contribution to child and adolescent mental health by a person within 10 years of their first published paper in a peer-reviewed journal
Panel; JCPP Editors plus ACAMH Board
Although the awards will be given without reference to the individual’s contribution to the work of ACAMH, the names associated with each award are those of ACAMH members who have made a substantial contribution to the association. In this way, the association honours those who have worked hard for it.
Get involved and tell us your choice!
If you would like the Board to consider a particular person for one of these awards, please send your recommendation to Martin Pratt, ACAMH CEO, stating the name of the person you recommend, contact details, and up to 250 words stating why you believe this person deserves this particular award. The deadline for recommendations is 31 December 2018.
Discussion
Would it be possible to have an award that focuses on the impact of a CAMHs service, enabling an aggregated understanding of the amount of young people who have improved within a service? What impact has a CAMHs service had?