Lifetime Achievement Awards

The NJPA Lifetime Achievement Award, the Association’s highest honor, recognizes exceptional leadership in the form of enduring and exemplary contributions to NJPA, over a sustained period of time, which collectively, has significantly enhanced the Association’s ability to positively impact the lives and careers of its membership, as well as advancing the field of psychology in New Jersey, and beyond.  It is suggested that the candidates be at least 65 years of age, however remarkable life circumstances will be taken into consideration for those candidates under 65 years of age.

Any member of NJPA can nominate a fellow member for this award by submitting a detailed statement (up to 500 words) demonstrating how the nominee meets the outlined criteria and why he/she deserves this honor.  Supporting documentation may be enclosed.  The Nominations Committee will accept names of suggested nominees each year, but will award nominees based on merit and presentation opportunity. This award need not be presented on a yearly basis. Nominations will be reviewed by the NJPA Nominations and Leadership Development Committee (N&LD) and a recommended slate of candidates will be presented to the NJPA Executive Board based on how well each meets the criteria and spirit of the award.  Not all nominees will necessarily be included in the recommended slate.  The slate will be approved by the NJPA Executive Board.

NJPA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS RECIPIENTS

2020

2019
Phyllis Bolling, PhD  Acceptance Statement

Dr. Bolling's 17 year membership with NJPA include: member and then co-chair of the NJPA Diversity Committee,  representative of NJPA at the APA State Leadership Conference (SLC), as a Diversity Delegate, Representative at the NJPA Executive Board, of the NJ Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists (NJABPsi), Member at Large (MAL) of the NJPA Executive Board for two separate terms, secretary of the NJPA Executive Board, Co-Chair of the Committee on Diversity & Inclusion (CODI), and currently serves as an Affiliate Caucus Member At Large (MAL) at the NJPA Executive Board.  Also, Dr. Bolling presents on difficult and challenging themes, even before they were popular, such as Power, Race, Domestic Violence, Bullying, Interpersonal Violence, Cultural Competence, Needs of People with Disabilities, Multiculturalism, and Diversity Issues in Counseling and in the Classroom.

Joe Coyne, PhD  Acceptance Statement

Dr. Coyne, an NJPA for 34 years, is an active member in the Northeast Counties Association of Psychologists (NCAP) (formerly, Bergen County Psychological Association) and serving as treasurer and president. He served as the NCAP representative to the NJPA Executive Board, member on COLA and was the secretary for that Council. He was the co-chair of the Addictions Committee. Dr. Coyne held the position of secretary on the NJPA Executive Board and served as NJPA's Parliamentarian. As a member of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Joseph Coyne served as NJPA's representative to APA's Council of Representatives from 2013 - 2014 and is now on Council for full term. As part of Council, he also is on the Committee on the Structure and Function of Council. In 2015, he was the Parliamentarian for APA Council and for the past three years had been on the Council's Leadership team including a position on the APA Board of Directors.  Last year Dr. Coyne received Fellow status in APA.  He served many years on the New Jersey Alcohol and Drug Abuse Board and was treasurer and president. Dr. Coyne was a member of the Governor's Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In 1996, he attended the White House Leadership Conference on Youth, Drug Use, and Violence. He is also on the Program Committee for the National Center for Responsible Gaming for their annual conference. He holds the APA Certificate of Proficiency in Treating Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Ron Silikovitz, PhD  Acceptance Statement

Dr. Silikovitz's leadership activities began in 1986 on the Committee of Children, Youth, and Families and Concerned Professionals for the Accurate Assessment of Child Sexual Abuse.  He shows enduring and exemplary service to NJPA (for 33 years) in a variety of leadership roles, secretary and treasurer on the NJPA Executive Board, member and chair of COLA, Board of Trustee member, secretary, treasurer, and president of EUCAP (1991, 2007), Forensic Committee co-chair (1997-1998, 2014-2016), Ethics Committee member and secretary, and recently accepted the role of NJPA-Board of Psychological Examiners Liaison.  He published articles in the NJ Psychologist on forensic ethical guidelines for psychologists, client records, computer conversations, and the role of the psychologist in guardianship termination of parental rights proceedings.  Over the years, Dr. Silikovitz made numerous presentations to NJPA, affiliate organizations, and the courts on ethical issues, interventions in custody litigation, therapeutic mediation, partnering with DCP&P, permanency planning, couples communications, and other matters. 

Duncan Walton, PhD   Acceptance Statement
Dr. Walton exemplifies a long history of exceptional leadership and contributions to NJPA and to psychology in general. At NJPA, Dr. Walton has made significant contributions, through his many years of membership as a full member of the association and more recently, as an Emeritus member.  Dr. Walton was a member of the NJPA’s first Diversity Committee and made contributions to other committees of the association. He was a NJPA Executive Board Member-at-Large, an Ethics Committee member, and a Trustee and Vice-President of the NJPA Foundation. Dr. Walton was a Founding member (1973) and third President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists (NJABPsi) from 1977-79. He was chair of the Multicultural Section of the New Jersey Academy of Psychology, and an associate member of the APA Ethics Committee. In 2007, Dr. Walton received the NJPA Psychology of the Year Award. 

Daniel Williams, PhD  Acceptance Statement
Dr. Williams was the first African American to earn his PhD in psychology from St. John’s University in 1968.  In September 1968, during an APA convention, 200 Black psychologists formed the Association of Black Psychologists, in San Francisco, California.  The mission of the Association of Black Psychologists is Dr. Williams' heart and soul, and his life has been spent as the champion for those without a voice, for those who have been subjected to racism and other forms of discrimination, and for the underdog. In 1975 he served as secretary, and in 1995 as treasurer, for the National Association of Black Psychologists. In 1980 he was the president of the National Association of Black Psychologists. During that year, the President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, invited Dr. Williams to the White House for the signing of the Mental Health Act of 1980. That Act provided grants to community mental health centers. Dr. Williams was the founding president of the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists in 1973. He was also president of the New Jersey Chapter in 1981, 1983, 1986, 1997 and 1998. 

2015

Rosalind Dorlen, PsyD: During Dr. Dorlen's 41 years as an NJPA member, she served as chair of the Public Education Committee of NJPA since the first research supporting the public education campaign (1995). She was liaison to the Public Education Coordinators throughout the country in her role as CAPP member during 2002-2007.  In 1998, she spearheaded the concept of giving awards to businesses and corporations that provide psychologically healthy workplaces for their employees in New Jersey. She presented this NJPA Public Education initiative at the 1998 APA meeting of state presidents and president’s elect. Thus far, all 50 states, Canadian Provinces, as well as the American Psychological Association have instituted the Psychologically Healthy Awards Program as a centerpiece of public education to provide recognition to companies and corporations that value psychologically healthy workplaces. As Chair of Public Education Committee she developed three new Sub-Committees: Anti-Bullying, Media, and Psychologically Healthy Awards committee which continue to support public education and outreach in NJ. As advocate for psychology, Dr. Dorlen has presented, written, and been quoted in numerous media sources about trauma, resilience, stress and the economy, the mind/body connection, postpartum depression, and chronic illness. While President of the New Jersey Psychological Association in 1999, Dr. Dorlen participated in overseeing the NJPA joint effort with APA to bring the first test-case lawsuit against a managed care company on behalf of psychology. This litigation was successful in setting precedent for managed care practices throughout the country and has had a far-reaching impact on SPTPA’s. In addition to serving as NJPA President as well as Secretary and Member of the NJPA Executive Board, Dr. Dorlen was a member of the NJPA Ethics Committee for 6 years, chaired and participated in numerous NJPA committees and task forces and served as NJPA’s Representative to APA Council. Dr. Dorlen was the recipient of the New Jersey Psychological Association’s Psychologist of the Year in 2000 in recognition of her advocacy work on behalf of educating the community about the value of psychology in improving the health and well being of families, individuals, communities, and workplaces.  Dr. Dorlen received the Edward Blaustein Award from the Rutgers University Alumni Federation for Advocacy in developing a pro-bono community health project, “Speak-Up-When You’re Down” which focused on Postpartum Awareness and Education.

Raymond Hanbury, PhD: Dr. Hanbury is a past-president of NJPA and served in that capacity with notable distinction. He served the association in a number of other positions, as Member-at-Large on the Executive board, chair of COLA, and participated in numerous special task forces and committees such as the Continuing Education Task Force and the Task Force on the Association and Foundation Relationship. He was liaison to the Board of Psychological Examiners.  Additionally, Dr. Hanbury provides a vital contribution to the Council on Psychological Health in our Communities and offered much creativity and programmatic assistance in supporting the Healthy Workplace initiative, post 9/11 activities, and the Resilience and Chronic Illness initiatives.  His latest initiative for the benefit of the military, PROJECT A.F.F.I.R.M., captured national attention. Dr. Hanbury spearheaded a pro bono effort on behalf of NJPA to coordinate efforts to assist a response and trauma intervention for the military and their families returning from the Iraq war.  At the national level, Dr. Hanbury’s record of pro bono activities on behalf of psychology is extraordinary. He served as the State Clinical Director of the New Jersey Crisis Intervention Response Network since 1989. He is the New Jersey Coordinator of the American Psychological Association’s Disaster Response Network, a member of the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Unit, and a Mental Health Specialist with the Disaster Medical Assistance Team in the US Department of Homeland Security. In addition, Dr. Hanbury also serves as a police psychologist for several police departments and as consultant to the New Jersey State Police, Office of Emergency Management, as well as the New Jersey Division of Mental Health Services and the New Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force. He conducted numerous public education presentations for various community groups such as Law Enforcement, Parent Teachers’ Associations, hospital staffs, and CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) covering such topics as stress, resilience, and disaster response.

James Wulach, PhD:  Dr. James Wulach has been a member of NJPA since December, 1984 having graduated from City University of New York in 1976. His psychology doctoral degree followed a law degree from the University of Michigan in 1972. Jim served as NJPA president in 1995 and was selected as Psychologist of the Year in 1999. Jim has served on COLA (Committee on Legislative Affairs) as both a member and chair. Jim was president of the New Jersey Academy of Psychologists that was later absorbed by NJPA becoming the Committee on Continuing Education. He is a past chair of the Committee on Professional Practices and Standards of the American Psychological Association. He is a past president of the Society of Psychologists in Private Practice (SPPP, since renamed EUCAP) an NJPA affiliate organization. He is the recipient of the American Psychological Association's 1997 Karl F. Heiser Award for Advocacy. Jim is the author of the books, Law & Mental Health Professionals: New Jersey, and also Law & Mental Health Professionals: New York, both published by the American Psychological Association. He is the author of 30 published articles in scientific and professional journals including the New Jersey Psychologist and the NJPA Private Practice Manual and has made over 60 psychological lectures and presentations to professional groups. Recently, Jim created two webinars for NJPA – one titled “Legal and Ethical Issues in Supervision” and a “Preparing for the Jurisprudence Exam for Licensure” whereby he presents and offers training on the laws and regulations that govern the practice of psychology.  Currently, Jim is professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, where he is the director of the MA Program in Forensic Mental Health Counseling, Coordinator of the Postgraduate Certificate Program in Forensic Psychology, Coordinator of the MA-JD dual-degree program with New York Law School (which he designed), and faculty member of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at John Jay College.  

2013

NJPA’s celebrated the achievements of six psychologists who helped make our organization a national model for psychology throughout the country.  As part of the Fall Conference, NJPA members honored their colleagues at a Friday wine and cheese reception while enjoying music by the Charlie Mark jazz ensemble.  Our six well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award recipients were: