Human services administrator receives Albert B. Craig Jr. Award
WAYNESBURG – Since 1937, the Staunton Farm Foundation of Pittsburgh has been dedicated to improving the lives of people who live with mental illness and/or substance use disorders in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Each year, the Staunton Farm Foundation presents the Albert B. Craig, Jr. Award to recognize people who have challenged society to think in fresh ways about problems and solutions in mental health.
The recipient of the 2013 Albert B. Craig, Jr. Award is Karen Bennett, Human Services Administrator for the County of Greene.
“Karen’s leadership and creativity have been invaluable,” said Staunton Farm Foundation President, Rob Ferree. “Integrating all departments of Greene County human services under one umbrella has allowed for the most effective streamlining of human services, with centralized management, communication and location.”
Ferree also said, “Karen has always put the consumer’s interest at the forefront and is an advocate on both the local and state levels. It is a privilege to be associated with Karen and her tremendous work.”
The award is named in honor of Albert B. Craig, Jr., MD, who served as the president of the Staunton Farm Foundation until 1991. During his years on the Board of Trustees, he gave from a boundless reservoir of creativity, kindness and generosity of spirit, challenging trustees and staff to search for the best ideas to improve mental illness in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The purpose of the Albert B. Craig, Jr. Award is to recognize people who have forged new paths, whether through uncommon partnerships or new ways of serving people with mental illnesses, or who have invented a product or process that has alleviated mental illness. Recipients of the award need not reside in Southwestern Pennsylvania, but their contribution must have impacted individuals in this region. Bennett, who has been the administrator for Human Services of Greene County since 2000 said, “It is a great recognition for Greene County when an organization such as the Staunton Farm Foundation chooses to make this kind of award.”
“The entire staff in our department has pulled together to develop these projects,” Bennett said. “We have been very creative with our money and very resourceful in order to serve our people in the best possible way.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, at any given time, 26 percent of the U.S. population suffers from some form of mental illness and almost half of the population will meet the criteria for a diagnosis during their lifetime. Joni Schwager, executive director of the Staunton Farm Foundation, said there is a lot of activity around integrating primary and behavioral health. Schwager noted that Staunton Farm’s supports service integration, including coordinated care and referrals between primary and behavioral health care providers.
“Service integration is the key to early identification and screening for mental health and substance use disorders,” Schwager said.
The Staunton Farm Foundation is a family foundation established in 1937 in accordance with the wishes of Matilda Staunton Craig, known as “Aunt Daisie,” who wanted her estate to be used to benefit people with mental illness.
Following the direction set in Aunt Daisie’s will, and in response to current needs, the trustees of the Staunton Farm Foundation make grants to support treatment, services, and systems improvements for children, youth, and adults with behavioral health issues.
Grants are limited to non-profit organizations that benefit people in ten counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania.