THE 2006 - 2008 TIMOTHY J. COAKLEY
LEADERSHIP AWARD
On March 17, 2006, the Trustees of the Coakley Fund announced the recipient of 2006 Coakley Award: Consumer Action Network (CAN) of Washington, D.C. With the seed money of the Coakley Award and support of ACMHA members, CAN developed a paper on the role of "entrepreneurship" as a recovery tool. Mary Blake accepted the award for CAN in 2006. The award was renewed in 2007 and 2008. Several documents outline the work of CAN on the project supported by the Coakley Award. Questions about the project and the documents below may be directed to Effie Smith, Director, Consumer Action Network at 202-842-0001.
· CAN Entrepreneurship Overview
· Entrepreneurship as a Path to Recovery: Key Points
· Entrepreneurship Initiative: Report on Path to Recovery: Strengths, Barriers, and Recommendations
Consumer Action Network (CAN) was incorporated in the District of Columbia as a non-profit peer-advocacy organization in January 2003. On September 3, 2003, CAN was awarded a competitive contract with the DC Department of Mental Health to develop a grievance system and peer-advocacy program for recipients (consumers) of mental health services. CAN's founding directors, Mary Hathaway, Effie Smith and Mary Blake, envisioned a new peer-directed, project-focused, and empowerment-based strategy for addressing DC consumers' needs. To preserve its independence and longevity, CAN plans to seek funding from diverse-source funding opportunities and enhance the consumer‘s role in delivering services, improving quality of life, and supporting recovery. In 2006 and 2007, CAN was awarded the Timothy Coakley Leadership Award from the American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA). The awards were in support of CAN's early planning work on an entrepreneurship initiative that was launched in March 2006. On March 14, 2008, CAN received the Timothy Coakley Leadership Award for the third year, providing additional seed funding to continue their work on entrepreneurship activities for consumers.
BACKGROUND OF THE AWARD For twenty-five years Timothy J. Coakley was an outstanding leader, advocate, program innovator, and visionary in the behavioral health field. In the early days of his career in Massachusetts, he pioneered alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization for adolescents, initiated award-winning services for homeless families, and cultivated a broad range of psycho-social services for the seriously mentally ill. Later on, as the Principal for Coakley Consulting, he was at the forefront of design and implementation for many of this country's most successful and innovative public managed care programs, including Massachusetts, Chicago, Iowa, Nebraska, Arizona, and Washington, DC. His work was characterized by the highest degree of integrity and a passion for creative approaches for improving the lives of mentally disabled persons, especially in the public sector. He was also known for his persistent, engaging and sometimes irreverent style of working with colleagues. He passed away suddenly on February 18th, 2003. To acknowledge and create a lasting memorial for Tim's many contributions to the field, Tim’s close friends, colleagues and family have established the Timothy J. Coakley Leadership Fund. The Fund is housed at the American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA). The Timothy J. Coakley Behavioral Health Leadership Award will be given annually for projects that demonstrate consumer and provider leadership on key issues that affect the field of behavioral health.
