AACAP's mission is to promote the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through research, training, prevention, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment and to meet the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists throughout their careers.

AACAP upholds this mission through our robust awards program, which offers over 150 awards on an annual basis to child and adolescent psychiatrists in varying stages of their careers.

Catchers in the Rye Awards
These awards are AACAP's most prestigious awards and are awarded by the AACAP Assembly. The award recognizes an individual that advocates for children (must be an AACAP member), an AACAP component that best advocates for children, and a regional organization of child and adolescent psychiatry whose activities best highlight the contributions of AACAP regional organizations on behalf of children.

Distinguished Member Awards
These awards are presented to AACAP members for outstanding contributions over the course of their career to a specific focus or treatment area with child and adolescent psychiatry. Distinguished awards also include Journal Awards which are given to the authors of significant JAACAP articles written by a child and adolescent psychiatrist based on specialties within the field. Distinguished Award recipients are honored at the AACAP Annual Meeting and present an Honors Presentation.

Residents and Early Career Psychiatrists
These awards are specifically designed for residents (both general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows) and early career psychiatrists. Awards include pilot research awards to launch a career in child and adolescent psychiatry research and travel awards to attend the AACAP Annual Meeting.

Medical Students
These awards offer summer fellowships in child psychiatry as well as travel support to engage and expose medical students to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Thank you to our generous funders who make these awards possible!