As a part of the annual Beck Institute Excellence Summit, we created the Beck Institute Excellence Award to recognize individuals, organizations, and initiatives that improve lives through the advancement of evidence-based practices in the field of health and mental health. Established in 2018, we have presented this award to five individuals who have greatly impacted the field of mental healthcare.
The 2022 Beck Institute Excellence Award winner is former Senior Advisor to the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Estelle Richman. Richman is a Beck Institute board member and has over 50 years of experience in both the public and nonprofit sectors, with a particular focus on children and families, health equity, and systems change. She has worked at the city, state, and federal level to understand the causes of poor health outcomes among minority populations, and to create and advance programs and systems that meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society.
A keenly perspicacious and humane leader, her efforts have resulted in significant measurable outcomes. In Pennsylvania, she spearheaded policies that led to a statewide increase in the percentage of foster children finding permanent homes, a drop in wait time for receipt of intellectual disability services, and improvements to child support collection services. In collaboration with parents and the community, she created the state’s first Bureau of Autism, ensuring that children diagnosed with this condition (and their families) receive much-needed support throughout their childhood and into adulthood.
Richman’s extensive experience and expertise in policy, public health, family and child welfare, health equity, education, and social services make her a tremendous asset to Beck Institute as we continue our work to make evidence-based mental health treatment accessible to all.
Watch Dr. Judith Beck present the 2022 Beck Institute Excellence Award to Estelle Richman and listen to her incredible acceptance speech: