- RELATED
2025 Award Recipients
Selma Fraiberg, Lifetime Achievement &
Professional Writing Awards
The Selma Fraiberg Award is given to a member for their excellence and contributions in practice with children, adolescents, and their parents. Lifetime Achievement Awards are given to members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of psychoanalytic social work and psychoanalysis. The Professional Writing Award is given to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the field through their professional publications. Awards are presented by those who are close to the recipients.
Presented during the 2025 Conference -
Dreaming the Future
Awardees
→ Jerrold R. Brandell, PhD, LCSW (Lifetime Achievement Award)
→ Janice Berry Edwards, MSW, PhD, LICSW (Professional Clinical Writing Award)
→ Huey Hawkins, Jr., PhD, LCSW (Selma Fraiberg Award)
Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award — Jerrold R. Brandell, PhD, LCSW.
Presented by Penny Rosen, MSW, LCSW, BCD-P.
Jerrold Brandell’s first consuming passion was playing jazz, and he spent summers at Interlochen, Berklee, and later, as a student of the great jazz instrumentalist and composer, Oliver Nelson, at a summer-long institute at Washington University. He toured briefly with the Les Elgart Orchestra in the early 1970s. Though he ultimately decided on a clinical and teaching career, his interest in musical performance has continued to the present. Jerry remarks that the one time he was able to successfully combine his two passions — social work and jazz — occurred while he was interim dean at Wayne State. When the president of the university asked each of the deans to design a special event to celebrate Wayne State’s Sesquicentennial, Jerry organized an evening devoted to “Jazz and Social Justice,” which featured performances by the university’s jazz ensemble, an urban poetry reading, and a performance by the world-class blues singer, Thornetta Davis. The fact that this event was held at Detroit’s Jazz Cafe, originally a speakeasy in the roaring twenties, made the evening that much more fun.
Now to describe his other passion – his clinical and academic career. Jerry is Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Wayne State University School of Social Work, where he taught from 1992- 2020, and where he also served in several administrative roles, including that of interim dean. He is (founding) editor of Psychoanalytic Social Work, currently entering its 33rd year of publication, and past President of the Michigan Council for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy. Jerry has led workshops and lectured widely on clinical topics in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. His scholarly interests include the portrayal of psychoanalysis in the cinema, theoretical and clinical psychoanalysis, psychotherapeutic process, psychodynamic supervision, and therapeutic storytelling with children. He has been a visiting Fulbright Scholar at the National Taipei University in Taiwan (2023) and has also lectured and conducted clinical workshops in England, Scotland, Spain, Israel, New Zealand, Greece, Crete, France, Sweden, China, and Switzerland. He was a recipient of the Edith Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement from the University of Chicago, as well as the Selma Fraiberg Award from AAPCSW for his contributions to the field of child and adolescent treatment. He was inducted into the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Practitioner in 2001. He has maintained a clinical practice since 1981 and is also actively involved in clinical consultation and supervision with individuals and groups. Jerry has published over 50 journal articles and book chapters, and sixteen books, including Celluloid Couches, Cinematic Clients: Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in the Movies; Of Mice and Metaphors: Therapeutic Storytelling with Children, 2ndedition; and Psychodynamic Social Work. His edited 30-chapter clinical anthology, Theory and Practice in Clinical Social Work, is currently in its third edition, and the second edition of another clinical anthology, Essentials of Clinical Social Work, was recently translated into Spanish. In addition, two editions of his book on therapeutic storytelling have been translated into Mandarin.
Response from Jerrold R. Brandell, PhD, LCSW
I am deeply honored to be the recipient of this award by AAPCSW and want to express my gratitude to the entire nominating committee. I joined this organization 35 years ago, and it truly has shaped my professional life during the interim, offering rich learning opportunities as well as important collegial relationships and more than a few close friendships. AAPCSW was from the beginning, a place where I always felt accepted and understood by like-minded colleagues, which was not often the case in social work academia. Once again, I thank you for this very special honor.
Professional Writing Award — Recipient: Janice Berry Edwards, MSW, PhD, LICSW
Presented by Golnar Simpson, PhD, LCSW
Greetings. It is indeed my privilege and special honor to introduce Dr. Janice Berry Edwards as AAPCSW’s 2025 recipient of Professional Writing Award. As you know, we are privileged to have Dr. Edwards as our President, but this award is not related to her position in our organization. It is rather designed to be given to someone whose individual accomplishments, prolific writing and scholarly publications, specifically in clinical social work, are to be recognized. So, in this regard, let me share a few highlights of her distinguished career with you.
Dr. Edwards received her MSW degree from Howard University School of Social Work and her PhD from the National Catholic School of Social Service, Catholic University. She has served as a professor at Howard University School of Social Work from 2011 to present. In addition, she has also taught at Virginia Commonwealth University and Catholic University Schools of Social Work and at Smith College School of Social Work. Furthermore, she was the principal investigator of a Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA) million dollar plus grant, training Social Work students in Behavioral Health.
Dr. Edwards maintains a private practice where she provides psychoanalytic oriented clinical social work treatment. Her range of experience over the years covers inpatient and outpatient clinical services for children, adolescents, and adults in public and private settings. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Edwards worked in the Assistant Secretary’s Office of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She also worked as the Clinical Director of the Emergency Psychiatric Response Team for the FBI from 1991 to 2002 where she provided trauma treatment in a wide range of clinical scenarios. Furthermore, she has served as clinical consultant at numerous agencies in the Washington, D.C. area.
Dr. Edwards has made significant contributions to literature in our field through her many publications including a book and book chapters as well as numerous scholarly articles in a variety of our professional journals. Here are a few examples of her recent publications: A 2025 chapter entitled “Psychoanalytic Theories“ for the 7th edition of Social Work Treatment: Interlocking Theoretical Approaches, which is among the foundational books in social work education; “The Body Remembers: How History is Written in the Intrapsyche of Descendants of the Enslaved (2025); “Economic Insecurity and Family Well-being: A Macro Perspective in 2022 edition of Encyclopedia of Social Work. She also serves on the editorial boards of Clinical Social Work Journal and Psychoanalytic Social Work.
I have known Dr. Edwards as a respected colleague and dear friend for several decades. In all these years, I have witnessed her professional growth and achievements rooted in her abiding dedication to the values of our profession and an unfailing consistency in promotion of excellence in whatever she does, whether it is direct clinical practice, teaching, or social justice advocacy. In this regard, Dr. Edwards’ depth and breadth of professional writing is a clear demonstration of her intimate knowledge of all aspects of the clinical social work profession, in general, and psychoanalytic social work, in particular.
In closing Janice, on behalf of AAPCSW membership and the Board, it is with much appreciation for your valuable contributions to our profession and our society as the voice for the voiceless, empowering agent of the powerless, and promoter of social justice that we present this 2025 Professional Writing Award to you with best wishes for your continuing success. Thank you.
Response from Janice Berry Edwards, MSW, PhD, LICSW
Thank you for your nomination. It is this community that has inspired me to explore the psychodynamic and psychoanalytic themes that I have written about. We have a community of scholars and practitioners who have passed on their knowledge and the psychoanalytic tradition in their writings and trainings. Your mentoring, sharing, and guidance have greatly contributed to my clinical thinking presented in my publications and that I have shared your work with my students at Howard University School of Social Work. Joan Berzoff, Jerry Brandell, and Joel Kanter are a few of those who my students follow regularly. Without your transmission of your clinical insights to me and your influence on my students, their understanding of the importance of understanding what's in the basement before attempting to work on the fifth floor would not be understood. They know and explore the importance of the psychotherapeutic focus on unconscious relational patterns as well as the devastating effects of insecure attachment. Special thank you to Golnar Simpson for encouraging me to explore a myriad of neurological research, that led to the development of my most recent publication: "The Body Remembers: How History is Written in the Intrapsyche of the Descendants of the Enslaved," in Psychoanalytic Inquiry, October 2025.
In keeping with the theme of our conference "Dreaming the Future," there is an "Urgency" in the education of future Social Work practitioners. We must insist on the need for exposure to psychodynamic and psychoanalytic theory in social work education, to remain relevant in these tumultuous times. This includes a focus on race, equality, and social justice. We are experiencing a dilution in the social work master's curriculum, where there is a deleting of essential exposure to psychopathology and clinical social work practice. Curriculum in these areas is a necessary lens to deepen our understanding of the experience our clients present to us in treatment. The transition that CSWE recommended, which is to focus on generalist practice, has thwarted the opportunity for students to be exposed to foundational knowledge of clinical social work practice.
Together we can make the difference. Thank you.
The Selma Fraiberg Award — Recipient: Huey Hawkins, Jr., PhD, LCSW
Presented by Karen Baker, MSW, and Wendy Winograd, DSW, LCSW, BCD-P.
It is our great pleasure to present our colleague, Huey Hawkins, the Selma Fraiberg Award for Excellence in Practice with Children, Adolescents, and Their Parents.
I first met Huey in 2016 when he matriculated at the Institute for Clinical Social Work to begin his studies in the Ph.D. program. I remember so clearly his calm presence in the classroom – attentive, curious, eager to learn, inquisitive and genuinely engaged – qualities we all value in a student.
At first, Huey struck me as quiet and unassuming. But as time moved on, it became evident to me that beneath his calm exterior lay a thoughtful, creative, complex deep thinker: an intelligent and insightful psychodynamic clinical social worker. Truly, still waters run deep. It was my good fortune that our paths crossed.
Since those early days, Huey has moved beyond the classroom, into a wider clinical and professional world. We are gathered here today to honor him and the contributions he has made to clinical social work, particularly his research and clinical acumen in working with Black boys.
His dissertation, titled, “Unconscious Maternal Communications of Endangerment for Black Men: A Psychoanalytic Case Study” (2020) is an impressive exploration of the lived experiences of five Black men living in U.S. urban centers who were impacted by maternal messages of endangerment. His findings suggest that, in addition to being responsive to threatening environments, maternal messages of endangerment serve unconscious roles in the psychic lives of Black men.
Before completing his Ph.D., Huey had already built a distinguished career of providing psychotherapy services in multiple public settings, including serving as the Executive Director of Boyhood Initiatives of Missouri – an organization dedicated to addressing the needs of boys and adolescent males affected by mental illness. For many years, Huey worked with children and adolescents suffering from multi-complex trauma, exhibiting behavioral and oppositional difficulties. He has treated children experiencing day care and school related issues, grief and loss, anxiety, attachment problems and parent-child relationship difficulties as well as victims of abuse and neglect.
Throughout his career he has practiced the art of psychotherapy and clinical social work with compassion, curiosity, intellect, and – most importantly – with love, empathy, and integrity. He has profoundly impacted the lives of countless children, adolescents, and their parents.
In addition to his clinical accomplishments, he has contributed to the field of clinical social work by disseminating knowledge through his teaching, supervising, publishing, and research. As a scholar his primary focus has been on the lives of boys – especially Black boys – and the relational and emotional forces that shape their development. He has written thoughtfully and sensitively on parent-child relationships, foster care, Winnicott’s conceptualization of anti-social tendency and the role of deprivation in anti-social behavior, the socialization of Black sons, and unconscious maternal messages.
Huey’s work embodies the spirit of Selma Fraiberg---her devotion to listening and understanding the inner world of the child. It is with deep respect, admiration, and appreciation that we honor Huey Hawkins this afternoon with the Selma Frieberg Award.
Response from Huey Hawkins, Jr., PhD, LCSW
This moment is such an honor, because I’m standing before people I deeply admire: my colleagues, my former teachers, my mentors. And I’ll admit, when I’m in the presence of people I admire, I get a little nervous. So yes, I wrote some notes to steady myself.
My clinical work centers the lives of Black boys. Every time I write, teach, or speak about them, I’m trying, earnestly, to protect and reclaim their innocence, that tender part of them society too often splits off or discards. I’m grateful to be part of a professional community that not only allows but encourages us to stay curious about these dynamics, to keep looking closer, feeling deeper, thinking harder about what makes us all human. If you’re curious about how my work began, it started decades ago—with a Black woman in 1970s Oklahoma City. She had a vision that her chubby little boy could be more than a linebacker. He could be a thinker. A change agent. She also taught me something I’ve carried into every clinical hour: being poor doesn’t mean you deserve less. It means you deserve someone’s very best.
And as therapists, we know something sacred: in order to hold our patients, we ourselves must feel held. The love of my life—my partner, Arlo—holds me every single day. His love makes my work not only possible but joyful. Thank you, Arlo. I love you. Now, along the way, there are those rare people who see something in you before you can see it in yourself. They call on you to share your perspective. They open doors and invite you into rooms you didn’t even know existed. They mentor you through theory, through technique, through doubt. To those who have done that for me: Ida Roldan, Jennifer Tolleson, Tina Adkins, Natalie Peacock-Corral, Lynn Tylke, Boris Thomas, Karen Baker, Wendy Winograd, Penny Rosen, Christy Tronnier, Marianne Yokiosha, Denise Tsioles, Kenta Asakura, Kathryn Basham, Peggy O’Neil, Woody Faigen, Greg Rizzolo, Sue Terrell, Marsha Wineburg, Phoebe Cirio, and so many more – Thank you. Truly.
And lastly, there are a few people in your professional life who make it their business to ensure that you succeed. I call them interpretive angels, but in truth, they are professional mothers. Just as mothers interpret the world for their children, translating its dangers and its beauty, making meaning out of the unknown, these mentors interpret the professional world for us. They help us understand its language, its silences, its politics, its possibilities. They guide us toward the next wise step when we can’t quite see the path. They share their insights, their networks, their referrals, and even those quiet community passcodes that open doors we never knew were there. Through their generosity, they don’t just teach us how to move in the world, they teach us how to belong in it. For me, those interpretive angels, those professional mothers, are Joel Kanter and Joan Berzoff. You have mothered me professionally, and that has changed my life as a clinician. My family and I thank you for helping me grow into the work I was meant to do.
See list of AAPCSW Award Recipients »
