Members of the team working with HCP Professor Ronald C. Kessler won the HMS Team Award for their outstanding efforts in creating the first volume of a book series, to be published by Cambridge University Press, that reports the initial results of the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative. This special HMS award acknowledged the group for having worked together “to complete a specific project that exceeded expectations and demonstrated excellence in teamwork.” Members of the team included Alison Hoffnagle, Jerry Garcia, Eric Bourke, Emily Phares, and Elaine Veracruz. They were nominated by Project Manager Keri Godin.

Putting the book together was an enormous undertaking, as each chapter was written by a member of the World Mental Health consortium. The team collected chapters from more than 20 countries, with Kessler writing several chapters as well. The team read each chapter repeatedly for content, consistency, and copyedits. Says Godin, “The work itself was impressive, but what was most astounding to me was the level of support the team members gave to one another during this very lengthy—and stressful—process.” Although the Kessler group is tucked away in a quiet corner of the Department of Health Care Policy, their work is making a loud impact in the HMS community and around the world.