OLYMPIA -- Maria Monroe-DeVita, Ph.D., has been appointed Director of the Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training (WIMIRT), a joint operation of the University of Washington's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Social and Health Services' (DSHS) Mental Health Division.

Dr. Monroe-DeVita is currently an Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington (UW) in the Department of Psychiatry's Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy (PBHJP) and has been a member of the leadership team at the Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training since August 2006.

"We are fortunate to have recruited a person with the rare skills of empirical orientation, deep commitment to evidence-based practice and an enormous capacity to respect and integrate the views of consumers, families and providers into all aspects of her work," said Eric W. Trupin, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chairman of the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Richard A. Kellogg, Director of the Mental Health Division in DSHS, noted that she has been a consultant on a project developing ten new Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) teams across the state this summer.

"She has extensive experience and expertise in PACT implementation and evaluation, and I know she will play a key role as Washington State implements this program," Kellogg said.

Dr. Monroe-DeVita also has spearheaded the Washington State Mental Health Transformation Project's Consumer and Family Evaluation Mini-Grant Program. She is an experienced clinician who has worked with a number of state and community mental health agencies, conducting policy and program development and program evaluation related to community-based services for adults with severe and persistent mental illness.

Dr. Monroe-DeVita received her undergraduate degree from Boston University, graduating with Distinction in Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, and Phi Beta Kappa. She pursued her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Certificate in Program Evaluation and Public Policy Analysis from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL).

She completed her Residency in Clinical Psychology at the University of Washington's School of Medicine in 2001 and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Administration and Evaluation Psychology in 2002.

Prior to her work with the Washington Institute, she was a research scientist with Behavioral Tech Research, Inc, where she was awarded a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Phase I SBIR grant to develop and pilot-test a web-based training program which teaches PACT providers various strategies used in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

State Workers to Receive Awards: Northwest Regional Social Security Commissioner Don Schoening said a number of Department of Social and Health Services employees would receive federal awards for their work on Social Security disability determinations.

The DSHS Division of Disability Determination Services (DDDS) works with Social Security to adjudicate disability claims.

"I am extremely proud of the DDS staffs in the Seattle Region and I thank all of you for your commitment to public service," Schoening said. "You can take great pride in knowing that your efforts truly make a difference in the lives of the individuals and the communities we serve."

The awards include an overall State Award for outstanding performance among states in the region. Individual awards go to Stephen A. Arnzen, Quality Assurance/Training Specialist, for outstanding leadership and a long-term commitment to the disability program; and to Keith A. Perron, Disability Adjudicator, for outstanding achievement in pursuit of DDS goals and objectives.

A team award will be represented to the Olympia Document Management Architecture (DMA) Team for its role in converting to a paperless office. Members include: Shamoon Alli, Unit Supervisor; Karen Beyer, Disability Adjudicator; Dawn Bolender, Professional Relations Specialist; Steve Boyce, Disability Adjudicator; Christina Corbin, Disability Adjudicator; Dan DeJesus, Trainer; Tracey Fralick, Intake/Closure Supervisor; Randy Hill, Disability Adjudicator; Janina Oestreich, Disability Adjudicator; Suzie Pine, Disability Adjudicator; Steve Turner, Support Services Supervisor; Rachel Williams, Quality Assurance Specialist; Craig Wingate, Disability Adjudicator; Josie Yerxa, Disability Adjudicator.

ASSIGNMENT EDITORS, FEATURE EDITORS: Dr. Monroe-DeVita can be reached at WIMIRT at 253-756-2851 or at the University of Washington at 206-616-5794.

FOR ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND, CONTACT:Jim Stevenson, Communications Director, HRSA, DSHS, 360-902-7604 (Pager: 360-971-4067).