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Woodruff Prize

This video was produced by Second Story Productions to illuminate the Woodruff Foundation's history and interests, and to honor the 2008 Woodruff Prize award winner, EDEN, Inc.

2010 Judges:
Philip Buck, LISW-S
Director, Counseling Solutions
West Side Ecumenical Ministry
Frank Fecser, Ph.D.*
Chief Executive Officer
Positive Education Program
Valerie Bradley Hicks*
Director of Program
Adoption Network of Cleveland
Paul Hill, Jr., MA, LSW
President and CEO
East End Neighborhood House
Ray Isackila, LPCC, LICDC
Team Lead, Addiction Recovery Services
University Hospitals Case Medical Center
Richard Paulson*
Woodruff Foundation Trustee
Chair, Woodruff Prize Committee
Robert J. Ronis, M.D., M.P.H.*
Douglas Danford Bond Professor and
Chair, Department of Psychiatry, UHC/CWRU
Greg Uhland
Executive Director
ORCA House, Inc.
Bernadette Washington, LISW
Executive Director
Catholic Charities Community Services
* Denotes Woodruff Foundation Trustee

 

Background:

2010 Woodruff Prize

The Woodruff Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2010 Woodruff Prize, which seeks to honor and award clinical excellence. The Foundation recognizes the difficult conditions under which front line clinical staff currently works. Increased demands on productivity, heightened documentation requirements, flattened organizations offering fewer chances for promotion, and erosion of morale due to staff cuts have all contributed to difficult working conditions. Further, pressure on agency budgets has limited training and education investments. The Foundation understands that clinicians have now have fewer opportunities to learn new approaches, upgrade skills, familiarize themselves with special populations, or refresh their practice, which ultimately slows the potential for clinical growth and client change.

The Woodruff Foundation therefore wishes to direct the 2010 Woodruff Prize to support the kind of learning opportunities that are limited in this difficult environment. $12,000 will be awarded to a clinical staff member of a Cuyahoga County-based behavioral health organization. The prize will be granted to the agency where the winner works, and split roughly into thirds to pay expenses in these three categories:

  • the winner's travel and training costs
  • the winner's release time
  • other clinical learning, training or development costs at the agency.

Eligibility

Clinical staff members of nonprofit behavioral health agencies that are based in Cuyahoga County and have the treatment of mental illness and/or addiction as their mission are eligible. Eligible staff must have direct interaction with clients and may be case managers, community support workers, social workers, therapists, nurses, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, or physicians. Clinical administrators are eligible for this award, but other managers are not.

Nominations

Candidates must be nominated by a past or present colleague, co-worker, or supervisor. The nomination form asks for information about the candidates' excellence in client care and team communication, and potential to apply the content of the training chosen as an award in their workplace.

Though staff at any level of an organization can submit a nomination, the Executive Director must also sign. This will attest to the agency's support for the worker's participation and commitment to the agency's pursuit of the training the winner chooses.

Selection

Nomination forms will be reviewed by the Woodruff Prize Committee, which is comprised of Woodruff Foundation Trustees and community members.

Finalists will be chosen, and some interviews may be conducted as follow up. We expect that many outstanding nominations will be received; the winner is likely to be one of many who would learn and benefit from a training opportunity not typically available during this time period.

Award

The $12,000 Prize will be presented at the 2010 Woodruff Forum, scheduled for November 2, 2010 from 12-2 at the Hilton Garden Inn. The prize will be paid in the form of a grant to the agency where the winner works, and used to cover costs of:

  • the training of the winner's choice, including: conference registration(s), tuition, workshop or school fees, textbooks or other learning materials, and travel and lodging for training or education.
  • the winner's release time for the training, and
  • other clinical learning, training or development activities at the agency.

It is the expectation of the Foundation the $12,000 will be split roughly in thirds to cover the costs described above. The award is intended to be expended by December 31, 2011. The Foundation will request a brief report on how the award was used, to be submitted by February 1, 2012.

Nomination Materials 

Nominations are due September 24, 2010. Please feel free to contact the Foundation with questions.

 

2009PLAN of Northeast Ohio, Inc.
2008Emerald Development and Economic Network, Inc.
2007The Children's Program at The Gathering Place
2006Community Assessment and Treatment Services
2005Magnolia Clubhouse, Inc.
2004Stella Maris
2003Positive Education Program
2002The Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland
2001Merrick House
2000Women's Re-Entry Resource Network
1999Project Safe, Cleveland Treatment Center
1998Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
1997Project ACT, Cleveland Public Schools
1996East Cleveland Straight Talk
1995Alliance for the Mentally Ill-Metro Cleveland
1994Hill House
1993The Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence
1992Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
1991The Covenant Adolescent Chemical Dependency Treatment Center
1990West Side Community Mental Health Center
1989Mobile Crisis Team of the Child Guidance Center
2009Ruth A. Addison, President and CEO, Murtis Taylor Human Services System
2008Robert Weiss, M.D., Director, Psychiatry Consultation Service, MetroHealth Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center
2007Frank A. Fecser, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Positive Education Program
2006Robert Ronis, M.D., MPH, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Medical School
2005Helen (Kelly) Dylag, Executive Director, Far West Center
2004Helen K. Jones, President, Recovery Resources
2003William A. Wortzman, Board Member of Hopewell, Bellefaire Jewish Children's Bureau, Jewish Family Services Association and Psychobiology Clinic
2002Miriam S. Plax, Executive Director, NAMI-Metro Cleveland
2001Mario Tonti, Executive Director, Beech Brook
2000L. Douglas Lenkoski, M.D., Professor Emeritus
1999Judith Z. Peters, Executive Director, Hill House
1998Mark Warren, M.D., Medical Director, Laurelwood Hospital and Counseling Center
1997Judy Fant, Director of Foster Care Program, Bellefaire Jewish Children's Bureau
1996Joyce DeCluette, Director, AIRS Program, Recovery Resources
1995Ralph Fee, Director, West Side Community Mental Health Center
1994Walter P. Knake, Jr., Ph.D., Free Clinic Volunteer
1993Jim Stutz, Free Clinic Volunteer
1992Eugene R. Brudno, Mental Health Volunteer
1991Maureen Dee, Program Director, Catholic Counseling Center
1990Richard I. Pountney, Executive Director, Stella Maris