MHC’s Womack recognized by Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations

MHC’s Womack recognized by Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations

Pam Womack, CEO of the Mental Health Cooperative, is the recipient of the 2011 Dorothea Dix Professional Service Award.  This award honors outstanding professionalism in the field of behavioral health and recognizes significant contributions that have a lasting positive impact on the quality and/or scope of services delivered in the state. 
During her 44 years as a behavioral health professional, Womack has achieved a number of significant milestones, including:

Prior to founding MHC, Womack was the Director of Community Services for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health for 14 years.  In that position, she was the principal author of the Department’s Master Plan which established targeted case management services statewide, as well as implemented mobile crisis services throughout Tennessee. 

Establishing and growing the first agency (MHC) in Middle Tennessee and the state focused exclusively on serving persons with serious mental illness as well as employing a model that’s unique to the state of Tennessee and the nation. Womack also introduced an evidence-based medication model, called Texas Implementation for Medical Algorithms or TIMA, in 2000.

Partnering with the Metro Nashville Police Department to make MHC the agency of record for immediate mental illness triage and assessment.  This model was the first in the state and has been successful in getting police officers back on duty and increased the likelihood that individuals will be treated through diversion services.

Womack received her award at a luncheon celebration on December 12th.  

The Tennessee Association of Mental Health Associations is (TAMHO) is a statewide trade association representing Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) and other non-profit corporations that provide behavioral health services.