It is a true honor and pleasure to be able to recognize Anita Brown, PhD, an outstanding colleague, and friend, for her illustrious career, as well as past and present contributions to the field of psychology.
Brown earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Pittsburg in 1979 with internship and post-graduate fellowship at the VA facilities in Pennsylvania. Brown’s early career encompassed work within medical settings in the Pittsburg area with a focus on pain management and treatment of depression.
For several years, Brown served the profession by working for APA. Within the Education Directorate, Brown provided leadership in the area of Advanced Professional Training and Special Projects. She also served as the Assistant Executive Director of the Practice Directorate for Policy, Training and Research.
From 1994 through 1999, Brown was a Major in the US Army Medical Service and was involved in providing mental health services to members of the military. While at Ft. Hood, Brown achieved the unique status of being a prescribing psychologist, while directing the administrative, clinical, and consultative functions to provide mental health care to over 14,000 soldiers. For her service she received the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Army.
Brown continued to serve members of the military after her military service ended, at Ft. Eustis and a medical center in Germany. Her responsibilities and service included direct mental health services as well as representation of mental health needs, clinical supervision and training, and advising leadership in the area of supporting troops for combat and operational stress reactions.
Since her service as an officer and as a civilian attached to the military, Brown has lent her considerable expertise in several arenas. She served as chair and associate professor for the Department of Psychology at Hampton University and was the curriculum director and adjunct professor for Fairleigh Dickinson University/Global HealthEd Post-Doctoral Program in Psychopharmacology. In the later role, Brown was the architect for the curriculum in clinical psychopharmacology. She has numerous publications related to psychopharmacology and psychologists as health care providers.
Brown has maintained involvement and leadership in APA throughout her career. A fellow of the American Psychological Association, she has served as President of the American Society for the Advancement of Psychopharmacology (Div. 55), Chair of the Committee of Rural Health, Co-chair of APA Presidential Task Force on Prescriptive Authority for Psychologists (2000), and current member of the Ethics Code Task Force.
Brown is a past president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. With the Georgia Psychological Association, she served as chair of the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee and is the current director for Professional Affairs with GPA.
Brown, thank you for your service to the military, APA, and psychology.