Heather O'Beirne Kelly, PhD, is awarded an APA Presidential Citation for her sustained advocacy for the health of military personnel, veterans and their families.
As a federal affairs officer at the American Psychological Association for more than twenty years, Kelly played a leading role in APA’s efforts to protect and promote the health of U.S. military personnel and veterans. She formulated and delivered compelling arguments to Congress, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs for appropriate funding, effective distribution and management of resources, and rational policies to ensure that these individuals and their families had access to high-quality preventive care and treatment. She was an especially strong voice for evidence-based services for mental health, suicide prevention, substance use, traumatic brain injury and pain, as well as for innovative health research and technology development that will lead to improved services in the future.
Building on her deep knowledge of science, clinical practice, government, and the experiences of military and veterans’ families, Kelly developed many strong working relationships throughout the military and veterans’ health and policy-making communities. In addition to serving as a respected spokesperson herself, she has supported and trained many veterans to advocate effectively for themselves on health policy issues. Further, she has gained the appreciation of psychologists and other practitioners who provide services to military personnel and veterans for her efforts in support of their professional work.
Kelly’s work exemplifies the best in advocacy by psychologists and APA. As she moves on to new endeavors, her APA family will miss her but looks forward to continuing to collaborate with her on critical military and veterans’ health issues.