Megan McCarthy, PhD, is presented with this Presidential Citation for her dedication to the service of veterans, and leadership in suicide prevention and lethal means safety.
Efforts to prevent suicide, especially firearm suicide, have greatly benefited from McCarthy’s prolific contributions. Originally serving in the San Francisco Veterans Affairs (VA), McCarthy was critical to the groundbreaking VA Lethal Means Safety Demonstration Project and the first-ever Veterans Firearm Suicide Prevention national conference. She then moved to the VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and served as the deputy codirector for the Lethal Means Safety Line of Effort on the president’s roadmap to Empower Veterans and End the National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) Task Force. The PREVENTS firearm suicide prevention recommendations were trailblazing, and McCarthy wrote the supporting document that helped undergird this transformative policy shift.
McCarthy has also served as vice president for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is now the associate chief of staff for mental health at the Birmingham VA Health Care System.
Following her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, McCarthy chose a clinical position to work with the most vulnerable, traumatized, and suicidal veterans. As the current president of the Association of VA Psychologist Leaders, she leads with abundant concern about the individuals impacted by policy and draws upon her experience to connect with policymakers.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, APA honors Megan McCarthy, PhD, with this Presidential Citation. Thank you, Megan McCarthy, PhD, for your dedication to veterans, and the profession of psychology.