Adventist HealthCare Promotes Children’s Mental Health

Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff

Adventist HealthCare The Lourie Center for Children’s Social & Emotional Wellness works to improve the social and emotional health of young children and their families through prevention, early intervention, education, research and training.

To support this powerful work, a group of high-achieving, professional women formed Champions for Children in 2021 to help raise awareness about the crisis in children’s mental health and trauma.

To honor the Lourie Center’s 40th birthday, the Champions for Children recently held an inaugural recognition ceremony to award six outstanding advocates who were honored for their body of work ensuring that at-risk children and their families get the services they need. WUSA TV 9 profiled The Lourie Center the night before and news anchor Lesli Foster emceed the event. The honorees were:

• Lifetime Champion Award

Congressman Chris Van Hollen – Senator who champions education and job training, as well as helped pass the ABLE Act for families of children with disabilities

• Outstanding Public Service Award

Congressman Jamie Raskin – Stalwart supporter of children and families as well as endorsed author by the Supreme Court Historical Society on the constitutional freedoms of students, families and teachers in public schools

• Outstanding Public Service Award

Congressman David Trone – Co-chair of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force leading multiple bills for affordable mental healthcare to our nation’s youth

• Reginald S. Lourie Award

Dr. Bruce Perry – Child psychiatrist, author, and expert on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on the developing brain

• T. Berry Brazelton Award

Kai-Lee Burke – Childhood expert who developed resources for trauma-sensitive, relationship-focused learning environments

• Champions for Children Award

Cynthia Germonatta – President of the Born This Way Foundation that she co-founded with her daughter, Lady Gaga, which supports mental health in young people