Dr. Angela Tomlin Receives 2011 Hero in the Fight Award from Mental Health America of Illinois
January 31, 2012
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| Angela Tomlin, PhD |
Hoosier families raising young children with concerns about their children's social emotional and behavioral needs may not have a personal experience with Angela M. Tomlin, PhD, HSPP, but the services and providers available to support them are possible as a result of her work.
In 2000 Dr. Tomlin, together with several statewide partners, formed the Indiana Association for Infant and Toddler Mental Health (IAITMH), a subsidiary of Mental Health America of Illinois (MHAI) and dedicated to a vision that any child and their family in every Indiana county has access to mental and behavioral health services in their home community. The IAITMH, under Dr. Tomlin's dedicated leadership, has engaged in a strategic planning process to prepare for and implement a statewide system transformation resulting in the establishment of an infant mental health endorsement system that identifies and captures providers' expertise and experience in serving very young children at risk for and with mental health challenges. Dr. Tomlin recognized that meeting the needs of young children with social emotional challenges and their families would require the committed collaborative partnership of multiple systems, agencies, and individuals. She has lent her expertise and passion to serve as an anchor for the extensive network of stakeholders to engage in Indiana's system transformation. Dr. Tomlin has provided numerous training sessions throughout the state, authored articles and monthly awareness brochures, provided mentoring and supervision, and leadership to the overall process. She continually reminds us that our collaborative efforts bring us closer to the vision of expanded access to mental health services for our youngest children in every part of the state. Dr. Tomlin has successfully translated her extensive expertise in infant mental health to promote the awareness and understanding of the importance of social emotional development to stakeholders representing various agencies and programs.
Similarly, with her constant dedication to these efforts, Dr. Tomlin has been able to engage key policy and program leaders in the implementation of a statewide endorsement system that reaches across multiple agencies and programs. Most strikingly however is Dr. Tomlin's unwavering commitment to children and families. She does not expect any recognition of her efforts yet continually recognizes the contributions of others. This makes her nomination as a hero all the more fitting and deserving. Indiana's children and families have clearly benefitted from her ongoing efforts to improve services and supports in infant and toddler mental health.
Dr. Tomlin works in the Riley Child Development Center, a section in the IU School of Medicine, Depatment of Pediatrics.
