Championing for Children

Professor Charles Zeanah was awarded the “Champion for Children” prize from Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana last month. Zeanah was honored with the Professional Champion award for his selfless work in child psychiatry at the organization’s 19th annual “Kids Are Worth It” conference Feb. 28 in Baton Rouge.

Zeanah is vice chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Tulane University School of Medicine, executive director of the Tulane Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and founder of the Jefferson Parish Infant Team, a group that aids young foster children and their families with mental health issues. The Infant Team has expanded to include a second group in Orleans Parish.

“In Louisiana, we are working actively with various departments in state government to try to improve things for young children,” Zeanah said.

Zeanah has helped take the issue of infant mental health into the national spotlight. “We have activities in New Orleans, throughout Louisiana, in collaboration with other groups in this country and even some international collaboration,” he said.

However, he does not take all the credit for the success of the mental health programs he is part of. “I have reached a point in my career when I begin to be credited with the work of many deserving people who keep a somewhat lower profile than me but really do the heavy lifting. We have a number of faculty in child and adolescent psychiatry at Tulane who have together created an Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. I could go down the list of our wonderful faculty and their many accolades, but you get the idea,” Zeanah said.

Zeanah also acknowledged last year’s recipient of the “Champion for Children” award, Dr. Geoff Nagle, the director of the Tulane Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. “[Nagle] chairs the Advisory Board of the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and just co-authored an important study on the economic impact of childcare in Louisiana. Notably, Geoff won the Champions for Children Award last year,” Zeanah said.

State Rep. Diane Winston received the Policy Champion Award for her work in the Louisiana legislature to aid families. PCA Louisiana is a statewide nonprofit organization committed to ending abuse and neglect of Louisiana children. PCA Louisiana is part of a nationwide network.