2024 Joel C. Frost Citizen Psychologist for Social Justice Awardee
Kim Baranowski, PhD, ABPP, is a counseling psychologist who works in the fields of trauma, forced migration, human rights, and global health. She is dedicated to increasing access to inclusive and culturally-responsive supports for communities experiencing a wide range of socio-political stressors. As the Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Human Rights Program, she is a leader in the provision of comprehensive and holistic services to asylum seekers to the United States who have experienced persecution in their countries of origin. Through pro bono forensic psychological evaluation, she documents evidence and provides expert testimony related to the exposure to torture, gender-based violence, and other abuses experienced by individuals seeking protected immigration status. Dr. Baranowski is also an American Psychological Association Representative to the United Nations where she fosters civil society engagement, as well as leverages psychological science and practice to address international mental health and humanitarian issues.
The annual Joel C. Frost Citizen Psychologist for Social Justice Award recognizes an ABPP Board Certified Psychologist who has made significant contributions in the areas of humanitarianism and social justice through bringing psychological science and expertise to bear on existing social challenges to improve community well-being locally, nationally, or globally.
Such activities involve engagement in efforts of advocacy, or engagement in activities that promote the psychological health of communities, groups of individuals, or organizations, or legal/political actions to support health equity.
Joel C. Frost Citizen Psychologist for Social Justice Award Winners:
- Are leaders in their various communities.
- Address disparities and social injustice within their communities, especially communities of difference.
- Are leaders in addressing humanitarian and social justice needs within their communities.
- Contribute to improving the lives of all through prolonged engagement in significant activities such as public service, volunteerism, board membership, and other strategic roles which may or not be directly associated with the day-to-day work of their careers.
- Bring psychological science and expertise to bear on existing challenges to improve community well-being locally, nationally or globally.
- The recipient of the award will receive a $1,000 award.
Eligibility:
- Nominees must be board-certified in one or more specialties within the American Board of Professional Psychology.
- Nominees must have a demonstrated history of leadership history in their community.
- Nominees will have brought their professional expertise and psychological knowledge to bear on humanitarian and social justice needs and disparities to improve community well-being locally, nationally or globally.
- Nominees will demonstrate prolonged and significant engagement in activities such as public service, volunteerism, board membership and/or other strategic roles to improve community well-being.
- Engagement in humanitarian and/or social justice activities may extend beyond the nominee’s day-to-day work.
Please submit the following materials online (all at once):
- Nominee’s current curriculum vita.
- Nomination letter from an ABPP board-certified psychologist (self-nominations are welcome). The letter should detail how the nominee meets the eligibility criteria.
- Two letters of recommendation from someone who is familiar with the nominee’s work related to Joel C. Frost Citizen Psychologist for Social Justice Award (the recommenders do not need to be a psychologist). Each letter should detail how the nominee meets the eligibility criteria.
The deadline for submitting a nomination is April 15, 2025.
For questions regarding online submissions, please contact us.
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