We are proud to announce the Richard Van Horn Award, established to honor the legacy of Richard Van Horn, a visionary leader and advocate for mental health in California. With a generous endowment from his wife and family, the award will be presented annually to one of our Champions during Mental Health Awareness Month.
A tireless mental health advocate, Richard led the development of recovery-focused services and programs run by and for people with unmet mental health needs. Richard was also instrumental to the development and passage of California’s Mental Health Services Act. He died in 2021.
This prestigious honor will be given to a Californian whose work embodies Richard’s core values. He fought to improve the lives of those with severe and chronic mental illness, as measured by real quality of life outcomes such as employment and housing.
Nominees for the Richard Van Horn Award will:
- Work toward the betterment of Californians living with mental illness, through direct service, advocacy or research
- Empower Californians with mental illness to have agency in the type of care they receive
- Provide opportunities for recovery and a life with purpose and dignity for people living with mental illness
- Advocate for innovative solutions to improve the quality of care.
“He was a very sweet person, but he was tough,” said former Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “His work was really about seeing every human being as unique, special, and worth helping. He pushed very, very hard and thank God for that!”
Steinberg Institute CEO Karen Larsen said, “The Richard Van Horn Award is an opportunity to celebrate and recognize our fellow Californians who believe, as Richard did, that everyone deserves opportunities for recovery, meaningful employment, and a life with purpose and dignity.”
“We are proud to partner with the Steinberg Institute to create this award,” said Kay Van Horn. “Richard would be honored to know we are recognizing future generations of leaders who share his values and commitment to fight for change.”
Nominations for the award, via our Champions application, are now open through the Steinberg Institute website. Announcement of the award will coincide with the announcement of the 2025 Steinberg Institute Champions in May.