Dr. Lisa Issac stated she was “honored, humbled, shocked and overjoyed” to obtain the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from Mental Health America of Southwestern PA, however her resume speaks for itself.

A Monroeville resident and former chief of medical companies at Torrance State Hospital, Issac continues to serve numerous organizations in her retirement years.

She is president of Gateway Medical Society, an MHA-SWPA board member and an officer with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Women’s Missionary Society of the A.M.E. Church.

She was acknowledged on the annual MHA-SWPA Innovations Awards dinner on April 27 at Antonelli Event Center in Irwin.

The awards go to individuals who have devoted themselves to enhancing the lives of these affected by behavioral well being points. Other awards introduced by the group’s CEO Laurie Barnett Levine included:

• Community Advocacy Award to Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio, who presides with President Judge Christopher Feliciani over the county Adult Drug Treatment Court.

• Curtis Upsher Jr. Recovery Award to Vito DonGiovanni, a retired medical psychologist with practically 40 years of expertise in group psychological well being.

• Education Award to Beth Dolinar, a producer and author at WQED Multimedia whose documentaries have explored numerous social and psychological well being points.

• Media Excellence Award to “The Catholic Accent,” a tv program, information web site, journal and newspaper of the Diocese of Greensburg.

• Mental Health Advocate Award to Amy Herschell, senior director of analysis technique and outcomes administration at Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, UPMC Insurance Services Division.

• Prevention Award to Hadara Katarski, adjunct professor of sociology in sport and sport psychology at Seton Hill University and Saint Vincent College and coordinator of scholar athlete well-being at Seton Hill.

In addition to Barnett Levine and Issac, the MHA-SWPA particular occasions committee consists of board President Adam Quatrini, Regan Chemski, Josie Funari, Michelle Gordon, Don Lawry, Anita Leonard, Heather McLean, Marybeth Grandinetti Pultz, Molly Robb Shimko, Kim Sonafelt, Richard and Joanna Stillwagon, Joan Stairs, Bev Stonick, Christine Vitale and Deb Wasilchak.