Distinguished Professional Contribution

The division offers this award to recognize distinguished professional contributions advancing the interests, goals, and purposes of Division 44. Winners of this award typically have developed innovations in practice with LGBT people and their families, have developed models and paradigms for affirmative practice, and have advanced the visibility of LGBT issues within the entire field of professional psychology. Their work has collectively raised the quality of services available to LGBT people and their families seeking care from professional psychologists by informing the practice of all who work with this population.

2009 winner

Bev Lepischak and Anna Travers - Division 44 has the unique privilege of honoring a couple with the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award. Bev Lepischak and Anna Travers have been together both personally and professionally for nearly 25 years. They are social workers who first met when they were both working at Jessie's Center for Teenagers in Toronto in 1984. They realized they had a common philosophical and practical approach to dealing with social issues, especially encompassing feminist principles into their everyday activities. They also fell in love with each other. This love and collaboration continued over time, as they have been active in women's services, youth services, health services, and as volunteers and activists.

Organizations for which they worked include the Gay Counselling Center of Toronto; the Children's Aid Society of Toronto; and the Toronto Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth. When Anna joined the Shelburne Heath Centre in 2002, she worked diligently to develop heath and service models not only for LGB people but also for the transgendered community, a group that had been highly mistrustful of regular social services. Perhaps the initiative for which they are most proud is Supporting Our Youth (SOY), a project that continues as a model of service delivery to LGBT youth.

This program, which they began in 1997, has been groundbreaking for its vision of queer community building across the generations, its range of cultural, recreational, and mentoring activities, and its ability to evolve to meet new challenges. Now part of Shelburne Health Centre, SOY supports some 20 unique initiatives, including projects focused on newcomers, and black queer youth, trans youth, and queer youth with disabilities. Anna is currently Director of Rainbow Health Ontario and Bev is the Director of LGBT Health at the Shelbourne Health Centre, one of the largest primary healthcare programs in the world (they have close to 600 transgender clients alone).

It is safe to say that Anna and Bev have been the individuals primarily responsible for establishing and developing comprehensive programs of health services for LGBT youth and adults in Toronto. Their efforts have also spearheaded such programs in other provinces of Canada and internationally. They have two daughters and are looking forward to the birth of a grandchild. They have lived and worked happily together for almost a quarter of a century.

2008 winner

Kathleen Ritter, Ph.D. - Dr. Ritter achieved her doctorate in counseling from the University of New Mexico and is currently Professor of Counseling Psychology at California State University, Bakersfield, where she has held the position of Coordinator of the University Counselor Training Clinic since 1988 and has trained mental health practitioners since 1974. A fellow within our division since 2005, her co-authored book (with Dr. Anthony Terndrup), Handbook of Affirmative Psychotherapy with Lesbians and Gay Men, was awarded Division 44's Distinguished Book Award in 2003. She has conducted numerous continuing education workshops on topics related to affirmative psychotherapy with sexual minority clients and same-sex couples. She is one of the invited contributors to a seven-part video/DVD series entitled, Psychotherapy with Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Clients. Additionally, she has authored or co-authored numerous articles on working with sexual minority individuals, spirituality, and group process. Two of her books (co-authored with Dr. Craig O'Neill) deal with struggles between religious dogma and spirituality: Coming Out Within: Stages of Spiritual Awakening for Lesbians and Gay Men and Righteous Religion: Unmasking the Illusions of Fundamentalism and Authoritarian Catholicism.

Based on her presence within the academic community and her application of science to the betterment of those in psychological need within our community, Division 44 is proud to recognize Dr. Kathleen Ritter as this year's recipient of the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award.

2007 winner

Robert-Jay Green - Dr. Green is a Distinguished Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, and founder and Executive Director of the Rockway Institute for LGBT Research & Public Policy, which conducts media outreach, program consultation, original research, and public policy studies on LGBT issues. Dr. Green also has served as the Executive Director and President of the Board for the Alternative Family Institute in San Francisco. Dr. Green received his PhD in clinical psychology from Michigan State University in 1975 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in family psychology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Dr. Green is one of the pioneers in the psychological study and treatment of LGBT individuals. He has published two books, 44 articles and chapters, has edited several journals and book series, is a Fellow in two divisions of APA, and has received numerous awards for his accomplishments. Dr. Green is a model of a vibrant, productive professional life that truly makes a positive difference in the lives of others. He is an inspiration for all of us, and we honor him today for his extraordinary contributions to bettering the lives of LGBT people in his myriad professional roles.

2006 winner

Maryka Biaggio - Dr. Biaggio received her Ph.D. in Combined Professional-Scientific Psychology with a Clinical Emphasis from Utah State University in 1977. She has worked in private practice and in academic settings including as Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training at Indiana State University and Professor and Program Director at Pacific University. She currently works as a higher education consultant and writer.

Past winners

  • 2005 Charles Silverstein
  • 2004 Marvin R. Goldfried
  • 2003 Janis Bohan, Glenda M Russell
  • 2002 Bianca Cody Murphy
  • 2001 Robin A. Buhrke
  • 2000 Catherine Acuff
  • 1999 Douglas Haldeman
  • 1998 Kristin Hancock
  • 1997 Armand Cerbone & Jan Schippers
  • 1996 Royce Scrivner
  • 1995 Patricia Hawkins & Harold Kooden
  • 1994 Bronwyn Anthony, Martin Rochlin
  • 1993 Clinton Anderson, William Bailey & Terry Gock
  • 1992 Sari Dworkin & James Harrison
  • 1990 Laura S. Brown & Linda Garnets
  • 1988 Alan K. Malyon

Nominations

Please send nominations for this award to the President-Elect.