Viola Bernard Initiatives

In 2015, the trustees of the Viola W. Bernard Foundation established the Viola W. Bernard Fund for Innovation in Mental Health Care (Viola Bernard Fund) at the Yale Child Study Center (YCSC). A child and adult psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Viola W. Bernard, MD tirelessly advocated for practical solutions for child and adolescent well-being and health.

In addition to anannual named Grand Rounds lecture seriesdedicated to addressing social justice and health care equity topics, the fund supports two significant initiatives at the center, an annual prize for social innovation in mental health care delivery to recognize innovative work for the benefit of children, youth, and families facing economic or social adversity; and a special fellowship for YCSC trainees focused on social justice and health equity.

Established in 2022, the Viola Bernard Prize provides research and/or salary support of up to $25,000 for one eligible YCSC faculty member, fellow, or master’s prepared trainee per year, with a focus on pilot testing an innovative model in a community setting. The award is open to applications on an annual basis and encourages rapid prototyping, implementation, and testing of potential new mental health care delivery models.

The application process is intended to provide a critical opportunity for child mental health fellows and faculty early in their careers to receive grant awards, develop and present ideas in public fora, and hone their grant writing skills. While funding through this initiative does not support recruitment of individuals from outside of the YCSC, it provides funding to advance and retain talented individuals at the center whose projects show great promise in improving mental health for children and families, especially among marginalized populations.

Candidates for the prize must be enrolled in the YCSC social work, psychiatry, or psychology clinical training programs or serve as lecturers, instructors, or assistant professors on the faculty with a primary appointment in department. Awardees work on their project with a faculty mentor and successful submissions must show evidence of a promising collaboration among mental health professionals, a community partner, and when possible, the business community.

An invitation for applications is typically announced internally over the summer each year, including deadlines for letters of intent and full applications. Awardees are typically announced by late summer or early fall. Application details and requirements are provided on the department’s intranet.

Launched in June 2023, the Viola Bernard Fellowship provides an opportunity for three YCSC fellows to contribute to the department’s commitment to health equity and social justice within the center’s psychiatry, psychology, and social work training programs. Intended to enhance the training experience of YCSC fellows, the opportunity prepares and better positions them to consider and address the mental health care needs of children and families facing economic and social adversity, with a focus on equity.

Innovation in mental health care systems and improved access to care for marginalized youth and families require new partnerships and collaborations not common among academic mental health centers and professionals—and this fellowship encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation within the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and New Haven communities. These relationships support the development of providers who center the voices of those they serve through community engagement to inform practice and initiatives, while promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation to help meet the needs of families served.

Viola Bernard Fellows are given an opportunity to gain and enhance knowledge, skills, and experience in the development of health care innovation to strongly impact society’s marginalized populations. This is rooted in expanding and enhancing the understanding of social determinants of health and systemic barriers. Fellows center the voices of those in the community to enhance their development as identity-responsive providers of equitable care. This helps fellows gain deeper insight into the mental health needs of children most impacted by systemic barriers, as well as how programs can be adapted to meet their needs.

Current fellows rising into their second year or higher and having at least one year left in their programs are invited to apply annually. Each Viola Bernard Fellow serves as a point person within their programs for the year. Ideal candidates are passionate about expanding and enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts within their programs and beyond. They work together to engage their cohorts in informing their initiatives.

Viola Bernard Fellows use 5 hours of elective time for activities related to this role. Each receives a stipend of $1500 and a discretionary budget of $4000 to be used over 12 months to support programming and activities. These funds can be pooled to benefit the three programs and used for specific program needs. Application details and requirements are provided on the department’s intranet.