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
2020 Catchers in the Rye Humanitarian Award Recipient: W. Thomas Boyce
AACAP was honored to present the 2020 Catchers in the Rye Humanitarian Award to Doctor W. Thomas Boyce.
W. Thomas Boyce, MD, personifies the intrinsic meaning of the word “Humanitarian,” with his outstanding contributions to the understanding of child development. Dr. Boyce’s exceptional book, The Orchid and The Dandelion: How Some Children Struggle and All Can Thrive has offered a pathway to success for so many managing difficult children.
Read more about Dr. Boyce’s distinguished career.
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 9, 2021.
- 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
- Nominees from the Atlanta, GA area are encouraged
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 2021 Humanitarian Award Nomination” in the subject line of the email.
AACAP's Catchers in the Rye Humanitarian Awad recipient will be recognized for their impact on children's mental health at AACAP's 68th 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 June 30, 2021.
Each year, AACAP rewards an outstanding member who exemplifies advocacy for children.
Each year, AACAP rewards an outstanding component (committee or task force) who exemplifies advocacy for children.
Each year, AACAP rewards an outstanding member who exemplifies advocacy for children.