Ridgeview’s Stratton receives Dorothea Dix Professional Service Award
Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organization’s (TAMHO) highest honors were recently bestowed at the TAMHO Awards Breakfast and Ceremony at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs Hotel in Franklin, Tenn. Ridgeview’s Sharon Stratton, director of psychosocial rehabilitation, received the TAMHO Dorothea Dix Professional Service Award, which honors outstanding professionalism in the field of behavioral health and recognizes significant contributions as they bring mental health to the public conscience.
Stratton’s leadership and advocacy in supporting the behavioral healthcare advancement to greater community-based living for people living with severe mental illness is a significant contribution to the behavioral health system in rural East Tennessee.
Upon receiving the prestigious award, Stratton acknowledged, “I am humbled and honored to receive this award. Dorothea Dix championed causes for people living with mental illness in the 19th century and remained steadfast in her commitment to always advocate for better mental health care for our neighbors, particularly the underserved. She remains a beacon of promoting hope, healing, and recovery.”
Brian Buuck, CEO of Ridgeview, offered, “It is fitting that TAMHO should pay tribute to behavioral healthcare professionals who have wholly devoted themselves to serving others and thereby contribute significantly to the well-being of their fellow citizens. Sharon has dedicated her life to community-based mental health care and to serving her local community in Oak Ridge in a number of different civic-minded ways.”
Stratton has served on the board of directors for Tennessee Out-Reach Center for Homeless (TORCH) and has been instrumental in procuring housing for people experiencing homelessness. She’s active with the Pilot Club of Oak Ridge and her cheerful, infectious demeanor were charismatic qualities that served her well as president of the Oak Ridge Club and as governor for the Tennessee District in 2017-2018.
Michael Yates is the director of development at Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Ridgeview’s Sharon Stratton receives Dorothea Dix Service Award
