Congratulations to our 2022 AAPPN award recipients!
Mary Ellen O’Keefe, MN, MBA, PNHCNS-BC, ARNP
Gretchen Schodde Lifetime Achievement Award
The Gretchen Schodde Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who further the profession of advanced practice psychiatric nursing and promote the mental health and well-being of those served.
Mary Ellen has been a vibrant force for the profession since she was first elected to the AAPPN Board of Directors in 1987. In four decades of service, she has proven to be “a skilled clinician, political activist, nursing educator, community leader, mentor, and philanthropist.” She currently serves as President of the Lois Price Spratlen Foundation.
Watch Mary Ellen’s Award Video
Danielle Waldron, MSN, ARNP
Nursing Excellence
The Nursing Excellence Award honors an AAPPN member who makes a difference to advanced practice psychiatric nursing, the mental health profession, and/or the clients we serve.
Danielle practices at Behavioral Health Urgent Care in Everett and has a private practice in Lynnwood. She was praised her work as one of two ARNPs working with the Providence Hospital Inpatient Psychiatrist and other members of Hospital Administration and Emergency Room Management to develop the Providence Behavioral Health Urgent Care Clinic.
Jinn Schladweiler, MN, OEHN, PMHNP, ARNP
Volunteer of the Year
The Volunteer of the Year Award honors an AAPPN member who makes a difference to the organization.
Jinn’s Seattle practice experience includes senior residential, drug and alcohol detoxification, inpatient crisis psychiatric care, and corrections. In her volunteer work with the AAPPN Education Committee, she was instrumental in bringing the “Duty to Warn” and “Gender-Diverse Care” Master Classes to fruition. “Jinn shows up, and she gets to work. (She) has a unique talent to say it as she sees it while remaining respectful and supportive.”
Jeffrey Kendall, DNP, ARNP, PMHNP-BC
Preceptor of the Year Award
The Preceptor of the Year Award honors an AAPPN member who is an exemplary and outstanding PMHNP student preceptor.
Jeff serves as Associate Medical Director of Inpatient Psychiatry at Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care in Kent. He was described by a former preceptee as “a thoughtful, warm, and genuine teacher who has a way of challenging his students to think on their feet while creating safe environments to be wrong and learn from mistakes. He was tireless in creating a learning environment that enhanced the patient experience and created opportunities for deep engagement with practice.”
Lisa Vickers, MN, ARNP
Preceptor of the Year Award
The Preceptor of the Year Award honors an AAPPN member who is an exemplary and outstanding PMHNP student preceptor.
Lisa practices in Yakima with the Best Practices Medical Clinic, an integrated family/behavioral health practice. A preceptee praised Lisa for “guiding the students’ experience with such patience and grace while still empowering students to step out of their comfort zone and develop their skills. She is an excellent teacher, and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to learn from her.”