Catchers in the Rye
"I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff."
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Humanitarian Award
The AACAP Catchers in the Rye Humanitarian Award is awarded by the AACAP Executive Committee. It was established in 1990 to honor an individual who has made sustained and significant contributions to the field of children's mental health. Contributions may include but are not limited to advocacy, increasing awareness, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, research, and/or acts of bravery/kindness.
Application Instructions
Nominations are now being accepted for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)'s Catchers in the Rye Humanitarian Award. The deadline to submit a nomination is June 30, 2023.
- Name and contact information, including email, phone number, and mailing address, of nominator;
- Name and contact information, including email, phone number, and mailing address, of nominee;
- 250-500 word explanation of why the nominee deserves the award;
- 2-3 paragraph biography or abridged CV (no more than 4 pages) of the nominee;
- If available, supporting information that would be helpful to inform the selection committee, such as a website, book, magazine, or journal profile.
Humanitarian Award Nominees:
- Only AACAP members may submit nominations
- Only non-AACAP-members are eligible to receive the award
Please submit the following information with the nomination:
- Name and contact information, including email, phone number, and mailing address, of nominator
- Name and contact information, including email, phone number, and mailing address, of the nominee
- 2-3 paragraph biography or C.V. of the nominee
- 250 – 500 word explanation of why the nominee deserves the award
- If available, supporting information that would be helpful to inform the selection committee, such as a website, book, magazine or journal profile
All nominations must be submitted to the AACAP Development Office via email at development@aacap.org. Nominations must be in a Word or PDF format. Please write “AACAP 2023 Humanitarian Award Nomination” in the subject line of the email.
AACAP's Catchers in the Rye Humanitarian Award recipient will be recognized for their impact on children's mental health at AACAP's 70h Annual Meeting. Recipients are required to attend the awards ceremony at AACAP's Annual Meeting.
Past AACAP Catchers in the Rye Humanitarian Award Recipients
AACAP’s Assembly Catchers in the Rye Awards are the Assembly’s most prestigious awards that recognize an AACAP member, an AACAP component (committee, task force, or work group), and a regional organization of child and adolescent psychiatry in recognition of outstanding advocacy on behalf of children and adolescents.
Nominations should describe the nominee’s advocacy work and why the nominee deserves the award (100-300 words).
Please send your nominations to the Executive Office, executive@aacap.org, by August 1, 2022.