Dear Friends,
This August we celebrated the life of my friend Dr. Arthur Pogosyan. Arthur was a psychiatrist, activist, public intellectual, and a visionary voice in integrative medicine. On 4th of August, 2017, Arthur would have turned 51 years old. His unexpected death left a devastating void that is still hard to accept.
Dr. Arthur Pogosyan
As some of you may be aware, we have developed a scholarship program, called Arthur Pogosyan Mental Health Award, to support early career medical or graduate mental health professionals in Armenia. You can read more about the terms and conditions of the grant by clicking the link below:
Last year, Arthur’s wife Astrik Vardanyan and I funded the initiative.
Dr. Lalayan, a clinical psychologist from Stepanakert, Artsakh, was the recipient of the award. Her clinical work is focused on treatment of trauma related conditions. This year we have received several other promising research proposals on psychiatric disorders and adverse childhood experiences. We are aiming to support one or two of these projects.
It is for this reason that I am reaching out to all of our colleagues and friends to join us in our mission. Please consider contributing through making a donation to support and maintain Arthur Pogosyan Award. Regardless of the amount that you can donate, it can make a difference. A $200 donation can cover one-month stipend of the recipient. $1800 covers the whole year’s stipend (9 month cycle). The key here is sustainability and continuity of the Award. We are looking for sponsors that could commit to sustainably supporting this very worthy endeavor. Please click on the link below to send your donation today:
We are also aiming to support an annual lecture series in Armenia called Arthur Pogosyan Memorial Lecture. The themes of these lectures will be consistent with mental health and social justice issues that Arthur deeply cared about.
Arthur Pogosyan Inaugural Lecture (INTRA Center, Yerevan, Armenia, August 2017)
I hope that this initiative will help all of us who knew and loved Arthur – his family, friends and colleagues. Please consider joining me in creating a viable and strong foundation to keep my friend’s work and legacy alive.
Sincerely,
Allen Azizian, Ph.D
The Arthur Pogosyan Award intends to support mental and behavioral professionals, effective institutions, and entities who strive to improve mental health services and research efforts in Armenia. The Arthur Pogosyan Award will fund those, who provide direct services to populations with wide range of mental health needs, with a special emphasis on trauma patients. The ultimate mission of the award is to promote vibrant and healthy communities through the provision of high quality mental health care. It is hoped that the Arthur Pogosyan Award will ameliorate the many pressing challenges of human condition and ultimately improve the lives of many.
The Arthur Pogosyan Award is a collaborative effort of the HaikProject and the GIFT program (Glendale Individual & Family Treatment). GIFT is the mental and behavioral health program of All For Health, Health For All, Inc., a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation and a Federally Qualified Health Center.
The Arthur Pogosyan Award is inviting proposals from early-career medical and graduate professionals in Armenia. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial support to clinical-research oriented professionals and promote mental health wellness and research efforts. The Arthur Pogosyan Clinical Research Mental Health Award is a one-year grant totaling $1,800, paid in monthly cycles to each awardee.
Eligibility
- Early career medical or graduate professionals, who are Armenian citizens studying at a higher education institution (MD, PhD) or within three years of postdoctoral experience located inside Armenia
- Actively involved in research and clinical practice at the time the grant is given
- Showing evidence of research-based clinical interest, assets, and skills
Submit
- 3-5 page research proposal with the specific aims of the research project, clinical services, work site, and outcome measures
- 1-2 page personal letter summarizing interests, experiences, and future goals
- An official transcript showing grades achieved in each completed course
- Nomination letter from the applicant department chair or employer
Timing
- New applications are accepted continually
- Final decisions are made by the GIFT program
Dr. Arthur Pogosyan
The award carries the name of a remarkable doctor, an activist and an exceptional human being – Dr. Arthur Pogosyan. Dr. Pogosyan was a double board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, who completed his Child & Adolescent Training at UCLA-NPI. He had extensive experience in treating children with history of trauma and abuse, as well as other childhood disorders. One of his major projects was “HaikProject” (haikproject.org), which is a community non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families. Founded in 2004 by Dr. Pogosyan and his wife, Astrik Vardanyan, HaikProject advocated natural childbirth and natural parenting free of birth and childhood traumas. In 2011 Dr. Pogosyan became the first Armenian psychiatrist to become board certified by the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA). He specialized in natural and integrative approaches to treatment of children and adolescents with mental health challenges. For over three years Dr. Pogosyan co-hosted a weekly TV show “Ponderings” for the Armenian-American community on Horizon TV, covering vast aspects of mental health. Dr. Pogosyan was also deeply involved in environmental health and Green Armenia project.
In 2013, the untimely death of Dr. Arthur Pogosyan in the prime of his life shocked all who surrounded him. The GIFT program, developed by Dr. Pogosyan, most unfortunately opened its doors without him in 2014. However, his legacy continues; the clinic is currently operating under the direction of his wife Astrik Vardanyan and is dedicated to the luminous memory of Dr. Arthur Pogosyan. It is hoped the Arthur Pogosyan Award will inspire mental health professionals to advance knowledge in mental health, and ultimately improve the care we deliver to children and their families.
2016 RECIPENT OF
THE ARTHUR POGOSYAN AWARD
Congratulations to Dr. Anahit Lalayan!
In lieu of the recent war in Artsakh, the very first award will be granted to serve the overwhelming number of trauma patients, ranging from soldiers, to their families, as well as to the rising number of displaced populations. Dr. Lalayan, a clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience, directs the mental and behavioral center called “Empatia” (http://www.empatia.am/) in Stepanakert, Artsakh. Dr. Lalyan and her team are providing the much needed care to the underserved populations in the conflict zone. They are in desperate need to expand and improve those services. We hope that the Arthur Pogosyan Award will aid Dr. Lalyan and the “Empatia” center in their difficult task of tending trauma patients in the war zone.