SMU Professor George W. Holden to receive 2011 PRISM Award

DALLAS—For his outstanding dedication and service to the mental health needs of children and adolescents, Dr. George W. Holden of Southern Methodist University will be honored Sept. 21, 2011, with The Lightner Sams Foundation Child Advocate Award presented by Mental Health America of Greater Dallas (MHA).

The announcement was made this week by MHA-Greater Dallas President Matt Roberts. The annual PRISM Awards honor leading mental health advocates in six fields of service. Dr. Holden, professor and director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Psychology at SMU, will be recognized for his long-time research, teaching and mentoring in the fields of human development, family dynamics, parenting, and domestic violence.

In addition to Dr. Holden’s numerous honors, he is the recipient of some 20 grants and fellowships, including support from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, National Institutes of Justice, Guggenheim Foundation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Hogg Foundation, and IBM’s Project Quest. He is the author or co-author of six books and more than 40 journal articles.

Dr. Holden is a graduate of Yale University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to his faculty leadership at SMU, he is an adjunct professor at The University of Texas.

Joining Dr. Holden as recipients of 2011 PRISM Awards are the Rees-Jones Foundation, Ruth Sharp Altshuler Award (outstanding community service to individuals with mental illness); Dr. Judith Hunter, Pamela Blumenthal Memorial Award (long-term commitment to quality of care and service delivery); Judge Michael Chitty of Kaufman County, Carmen Miller Michael Mental Health Advocate Award (concern for effects of substance abuse on mental health); and three Special Recognition Awards to Judge Doug Skemp, Dallas County Criminal Court; Judge Michael Snipes, Veterans Court; and Tom Collins, CEO at Green Oaks Hospital.

The Prism Awards will be presented at a 6-8 p.m. reception and ceremony at Cityplace, 2711 N. Haskell Ave. at North Central Expressway, on Sept. 21. Tickets are available now at www.mhadallas.org.

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