Jan Owens-Lane, PhD, is recognized with this APA Presidential Citation for her leadership in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, her tireless pursuit of restorative social justice, and her steadfast commitment to fostering positive change within our communities.
With over 30 years of experience as a psychologist advancing mental health, particularly in communities of color, Owens-Lane improves lives through her work in professional and academic settings, and with community organizations and churches. In her work, Owens-Lane has shown an exceptional ability to listen to and engage with community members, allowing her to build trust and create partnerships that drive meaningful change. She is well-regarded as a clinician, mentor, public speaker, coach, business consultant, and writer.
Among her major accomplishments, Owens-Lane served as the president of the Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA). As the first person of color to be elected president in the history of the organization, she advanced diversity in both CPA and in the community. Representing CPA in 2000 at the American Psychological Association’s State Leadership Conference, she served as a diversity delegate during its inaugural class. Owens-Lane then founded CPA’s Ethnic Diversity Task Force (EDTF) in 2001. Over the years, EDTF, under Owens-Lane’s leadership, created the Directory of Mental Health Professionals of Color and Bilingual and Multilingual Speakers, a free resource for increasing mental health accessibility in Connecticut. EDTF also delivered mental health presentations to barbers and hair stylists through its MindStylz Program, staffed community health fairs, created volunteer opportunities for students, partnered with integrated behavioral health agencies in underserved areas, and delivered presentations at high schools and universities. With the aim of fostering professional and leadership development skills among high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, over the past 22 years, Owens-Lane founded, grew, and nurtured the EDTF Scholarship Program. In doing so, “Dr. Jan,” as she is affectionately known, has generously shared her knowledge and expertise, and personally mentored generations of future psychologists of color. To recognize and honor her dedication and commitment, in 2021, CPA renamed the EDTF Scholarship Program as the “Dr. Jan Owens-Lane Mentoring Scholarship Program.”
As an active member of her community, Owens-Lane served on multiple professional and community boards, including an appointment by the Governor of Connecticut to serve on the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Board. Throughout her extraordinary career, Owens-Lane has been honored with numerous community, state, and national awards.
Owens-Lane’s passion for promoting equity, diversity, cultural literacy, and positive change within our communities has had a profound and lasting impact. Her efforts have not only helped to foster a more inclusive environment within the field of psychology, but they have also paved the way for others to follow in her footsteps. Her impactful interventions, in addition to her dedication to improving access to mental health services for underrepresented and marginalized communities, have set the standards for our discipline. I am honored to acknowledge her remarkable career and life’s work with this Presidential Citation.