TOWSON, MD—Courtney Brown, LCSW-C, supervisor of mental health services for Baltimore County Public Schools, has been honored by the National Alliance for Mental Illness Metropolitan Baltimore (NAMI) as the recipient of the 2021 Frances J. Lentz Mental Health Professional of the Year Award.

This annual award recognizes an exemplary mental health professional who significantly improves the lives of patients and their families. It is named in honor of a former NAMI volunteer who enhanced the lives of people with mental illness.

The award was announced during NAMI’s annual meeting and awards ceremony by Dr. Denis Antoine, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and last year’s recipient of the Lentz award.

In announcing the award, Dr. Antoine said, “Courtney has been tasked with coordinating the Baltimore County Public Schools and Baltimore County resources to be able to prioritize and provide equitable social emotional health to ensure that the immediate and long-term mental health needs of students are addressed and supported in a thorough and lasting way, that students are educated fully on mental health matters, and that the topic of mental health is normalized and that all students can get the support and services they need throughout their lives. Thank you, Courtney, for your exemplary work and commitment to supporting the mental health of our young leaders especially in such a time of need.”

“We are so pleased that NAMI has honored Courtney Brown with this well-deserved award,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “She exemplifies our systemwide commitment to our students’ mental health and social emotional wellbeing. Her expertise, dedication, and collaborative style greatly enhance the services we are able to offer.”

Brown, a Pasadena resident, joined BCPS in 2013 as a school social worker and was promoted to supervisor of mental health services in 2020. In her current role, she works to ensure all students have access to mental health services, including those needing wraparound services. Additionally, she focuses on suicide awareness and prevention initiatives; manages community mental health partnerships; co-leads the BCPS mental health awareness campaign, Mind Over Matters; and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders. Before joining BCPS, Brown was a clinician at a residential treatment facility for youth and with a mobile crisis team, and she assisted youth in foster care in making the transition to independent living.

Brown earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Bowie State University and a Master of Social Work degree from Howard University, with a concentration in mental health.