By Catherine Ford
Commonwealth Strategy Group
On September 30th, Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) received the Legislator of the Year award at the Psychiatric Society of Virginia (PSV) Fall Conference at the Wintergreen Resort. PSV President Dr. Kara Beatty, a psychiatrist from Richmond, honored Senator Deeds with the award at the evening reception on Friday night sponsored by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. The award is given annually to a member of the Virginia General Assembly who actively champions access to mental health care services.
“I can think of no one more deserving of this award. Senator Deeds has dedicated his legislative career to promoting awareness and solutions for issues that we as psychiatrists see on a daily basis. We look forward to offering the Senator our continued support in the years to come as he fights for Virginians with mental illness,” Dr. Beatty said.
“While I appreciate the recognition, and it means more to me than you can possibly know, much work remains. People are not getting the help they need. Our job is to make sure everyone is able to live the best life they can. That is why the work of psychiatrists, and other professionals in the field, is so important,” Senator Deeds said in response to the praise given to his work for the community. He received the award in 2014 as well.
