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 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. This award recognizes sustained, career-stage-appropriate leadership and prolonged engagement in humanitarian and social justice initiatives. The recipient of the award will receive a $1,000 award.
Eligibility:
- Nominees must be board-certified in one or more American Board of Professional Psychology specialties.
- Nominees must have a demonstrated history of leadership 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):
- Curriculum Vita.
- Nomination letter from an ABPP board-certified psychologist (self-nominations permitted). The letter should detail how the nominee exemplifies the eligibility criteria.
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with the nominee’s work and engagement in humanitarian and/or social justice activities and their impacts (the recommenders do not need to be psychologists). Each letter should detail how the nominee meets the award eligibility criteria.
Award recipients will demonstrate:
- Active leadership of one or more systemic, group, or community-level initiatives addressing humanitarian and social justice needs within their communities, especially communities of difference.
- Evidence of sustained and impactful engagement consistent with their career stage.
- Demonstrate influence on policies, systems, programs, organizations, or community practices that contribute to improving community wellbeing.
- The application of psychological science and professional expertise to address existing challenges to improve the individual and/or community well-being locally, nationally or globally.
The deadline for submitting a nomination is April 15, 2026.
For questions regarding online submissions, please contact us.
Please login to access the award nomination form: