The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) Honors Joel M. Levy, DSW with the 2003 Knee/Wittman Outstanding Achievement Award

The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) is pleased to announce that Joel M. Levy, DSW, is the recipient of the Knee/Wittman Outstanding Achievement Award for 2003. The Knee/Wittman Awards recognize individuals who are models of excellence and who have made significant contributions in the fields of health and mental health. The Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to an individual or group that has made a significant impact on national mental health public policy, professional standards, or program models.

As a social worker, Dr. Levy has devoted three decades of his professional career to creating services and programs embodying his personal belief that people with disabilities are entitled to the same dignity, respect, independence, and opportunities for achievement as all other members of society.

Dr. Levy has been a national leader in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD). In his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Young Adult Institute/National Institute for People with Disabilities (YAI/NIPD)—a network of seven agencies providing a variety of comprehensive services to nearly 20,000 people of all ages with developmental, learning, and physical disabilities, and mental health challenges—Dr. Levy created an overall system to provide essential services. This system has elevated the quality of administration and clinical standards in the field of developmental disabilities.

He has been a pioneer in the social revolution, which has changed the lives and transformed the destinies of thousands of people with developmental and physical disabilities and mental health challenges by building comprehensive programs that facilitate the transition from institutions to dignified community-based services. Among those services is YAI’s Center for Specialty Therapy, which provides individuals with a variety of mental health and rehabilitative services designed to address their mental health needs and decrease challenging behaviors. Under Dr. Levy’s leadership, YAI Home Health Services—a Medicaid and Medicare certified home health agency—provides services to people with disabilities who are difficult to treat in traditional community facilities. Dr. Levy also led the creation and implementation of early intervention and early childhood programs that provide a range of therapeutic and educational services to infants and toddlers up to five years of age.

The health care and mental health care programs and services that Dr. Levy oversees through the YAI/NIPD network provide a range of services, fulfilling a variety of needs within a diverse community, as well as a formal support network for people with disabilities, their families, and their communities. They also encourage informal support systems that enhance independence, improve quality of life, and build brighter futures. For example, The Women’s Center at Premier HealthCare—a member of the YAI/NIPD network—promotes health and wellness for women with a variety of disabilities, through a multidisciplinary program incorporating services, research and education, and policy and advocacy.

Through the YAI Training Institute, Dr. Levy provides experienced staff from throughout the YAI/NIPD network, as well as from other agencies across the country and abroad, with training and techniques for working with the MR/DD community through workshops, work/study programs, seminars, and videos.

Establishing equality for people with developmental and physical disabilities and mental health challenges has been the essence of Dr. Levy’s professional career. He has devoted his training to providing access to fundamental, high quality services for this underserved population, including families and communities. The NASW Foundation is honored to present Dr. Levy with the Knee/Wittman Outstanding Achievement Award for 2003.