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By Jon Moor

Atlanta, Ga....Thomas H. Bornemann, Ed.D., M.S.W., senior adviser for mental health with the World Health Organization (WHO) department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, will join The Carter Center August 1 as director of its Mental Health Program.

"We look forward to the leadership Thom can offer as we work to overcome stigma and the ignorance surrounding mental disorders, address public policy issues such as parity in mental health insurance coverage, and contribute to a positive shift in public sentiment toward people with mental illnesses," said Dr. John Hardman, the Center's executive director.

Dr. Bornemann has spent his career working in public mental health. He has worked extensively in the areas of refugee mental health and in other humanitarian assistance activities. He has broad experience in mental health policy, both nationally and internationally. Dr. Bornemann has a career-long interest in the application of research findings to the practice and policy environment. He formerly served at the National Institute of Mental Health and as deputy director of the Federal Center for Mental Health Services.

Among his varied activities, Dr. Bornemann was involved in the development of the first Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health. Later, at the World Health Organization, he contributed to the World Health Report 2001, which focused on mental health. He recently retired from the U.S. Public Health Service at the rank of assistant surgeon general.

"I plan to continue the good work established at The Carter Center, and I accept the important new challenges ahead as we strive to incorporate mental health into public health," Dr. Bornemann said.

Among his many prestigious awards, Dr. Bornemann received the Distinguished Service Medal and the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal. He earned his Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco, and his M.S.W. from Tulane University. He holds an appointment in the Department of International Health, School of Hygiene and Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Bornemann succeeds Gregory Fricchione, M.D., who is returning to Boston to direct the Division of Psychiatry in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The nonprofit, nongovernmental Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. In partnership with Emory University, the Center works to wage peace, fight disease, and build hope for millions of people around the world. Led by Mrs. Carter, the Center's Mental Health Program will host the annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum on May 21 focusing on suicide prevention.

This year's November 6-7 Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy is a Status Report: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of the Country in the Wake of September 11, 2001.

To learn more about The Carter Center Mental Health Program, click here.