APA Foundation Raises Funds for O’Leary Award for Innovation in Psychiatry

The APA Foundation has launched an endowment campaign for the O’Leary Award for Innovation in Psychiatry. To be presented for the first time at APA’s 2023 Annual Meeting, the award will support initiatives that improve the quality of and access to mental health care and focus on crisis de-escalation, stabilization, and wraparound services to support recovery.

Additionally, the individuals chosen for this award should reflect the values of Paul O’Leary, M.D., M.Sc. O’Leary, who passed away last year, was a compassionate and dedicated APA leader. He served as APA Assembly speaker and vice chair of the Assembly Executive Committee and was a member of APA’s Committee on Advocacy and Litigation Funding, Political Action Committee Board of Directors, and the APA Delegation to the AMA. He completed medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in 2005 and went on to complete a residency in psychiatry at UAB, followed by fellowships in child and adolescent psychiatry at UAB and forensic psychiatry at Emory University. He was committed to developing strong mentorship relationships, especially with early career psychiatrists, to reduce burnout and promote job satisfaction.

The APA Foundation has set a goal of raising $150,000 for the Paul O’Leary Innovation in Psychiatry Award’s endowment. You can also obtain more information on making a pledge to the campaign or a donation by texting OLEARY to 44321. ■