Congratulations to OUR recipients!
The Florida Behavioral Health Association’s (FBHA) annual Awards of Excellence honor the best in its behavioral health workforce with a series of prestigious achievement awards. FBHA’s behavioral health provider members deploys its expertise across a broad range of prevention, health care and social service settings, which may include prevention and education programs; community-based outpatient and inpatient treatment programs; primary care health delivery offices; hospitals; emergency rooms; criminal justice systems and school-based or higher education institutions.
Peer/Recovery Support Specialist
of the Year
Jackolyn Drury
Clay Behavioral Health Center
Clay County is widespread, covering 644 square miles; Jackie is known to travel all of them when reaching out and working with individuals and families. For three years, Jackie has been working with the OD2A Community Paramedic program, a partnership between Clay Behavioral Health Center, Clay County Fire and Rescue, and the Department of Health. She is a tireless advocate who uses her lived experiences to support and promote her clients in recovery.
Supervisor/Administrator
of The Year
Kenuated Clarke
Bridges International
Kenuated Clarke has worked for Bridges International for 5 years and serves as the Chief Program Officer. She has devoted her life’s work to the criminal justice system as well as the children and families in her community. She has spent the past 21 years working with the chronically mentally ill, child welfare, dependency judicial system, residential treatment, community-based services, family counseling, substance abuse programming, anger management groups, juvenile justice and therapeutic community systems. Ms. Clarke used her wealth of knowledge and leadership to spearhead Bridges’ CARF accreditation.
Clinician of The Year FOR
Youth
Matthew Butler
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare
Matthew Butler, with Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, works in a crisis stabilization unit where his work helps to stabilize many minors in crisis as well as their families. He goes above and beyond to assist families by sitting with the nurses and mental health technicians and processing with them how patients are doing how they can best manage difficult patient situations. A few years ago, Mr. Butler stepped up when a Lake City team member quit. He volunteered to drive to Lake City from Gainesville (a two-hour, round-trip commute) because he understood that not having a full-time unit counselor on-site in Lake City would greatly impair the care of the minors in the Lake City CSU. This is an incredible example of the devotion and commitment that Mr. Butler has to this population of patients in need.
Clinician of The Year FOR
Adults
Aileen Byron-Davis
New Horizons Community Mental Health Center
Aileen Byron-Davis, a clinical social worker, of New Horizons Community Mental Health, has a heart for her community and believes in giving back. She has been instrumental in creating community service events throughout the entire year, especially around the holidays. It is not uncommon to see Aileen, who has worked at NHCMH for 20 years, and her committee visiting the domestic survivors and their children on a Friday night engaging them with pizza, games and other activities. Aileen addresses challenges head-on and looks for solutions that will best meet the need. Aileen's expertise has been recognized by her colleague and she was recently nominated as Employee of the Year. She is always nearby to lend a helping hand and offer her clinical or administrative expertise. She is recognized as “The Go to Person.” Others rally around her. Her contagious laugh lights up the atmosphere of the workplace. She leads by example. She is a strong advocate and supporter for friends, family and associates alike.
Medical Professional
of the Year
Dr. Annie Cherian
Lakeview Center
Dr. Annie Cherian is a Doctor of Medicine with a specialization in psychiatry. In her 43-year career, she has overseen approximately 200 inpatient beds at three facilities, to include a community hospital psychiatric unit, an acute stabilization unit and a state mental hospital. She has also served as medical director guiding a team of more than 30 psychiatric medical staff at Lakeview Center, including physicians and mid-levels. At the heart of Annie’s service is compassion and expertise. Clients have always come first, regardless of the paperwork, payment source, time of day, or any other job task.
DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE
Mark Fontaine
Mark has dedicated his 44-year-long career to leading the Florida behavioral health community and representing us in Washington D.C. on a national level. He has served as Executive Director of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, Executive Director of the Florida Juvenile Justice Association and Project Manager for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD). In addition, he is on the Board of Directors of the National Council for Behavioral Health and serves as Chair of the Addictions Committee. He is a Governor Scott appointee to the State of Florida Drug Policy Advisory Council and serves as President of Floridians for Recovery.