Larry Keller, Executive Director of Kitsap Mental Health Services, has been presented the prestigious Mary Higgins Award by the Washington Community Mental Health Council (WCMHC). The award is the highest honor that a member of the WCMHC can receive. Keller was presented the award last week at the WCMHC annual conference in Yakima.

The award’s namesake, Mary Higgins, served as the Executive Director of Spokane Mental Health for 25 years and was distinguished by her extraordinary commitment to the cause of mental health. Keller and Higgins were contemporaries and often championed mental health initiatives together. Last year’s winner, David Panken, current CEO of Spokane Mental Health, in presenting the award, quoted Mary Higgins as saying, “Larry has a good eye for system development and feels deeply about doing the right thing for people who need care.”

The award nomination, submitted by his staff, cited Keller as a visionary in creating an excellent, flexible and collaborative behavioral health system for Kitsap County. According to the nomination, “…He will not accept the status quo when it is not good enough. He has a well-established reputation for his persistent, tireless and persevering style. As was true of Mary Higgins, he will not rest when he knows the system can do better and he consistently pushes for reform at all levels.”

“There is no greater honor than to be nominated by your staff and recognized by your peers,” said Keller about the award. Keller recently announced his retirement from KMHS where he has served as Executive Director since 1978. In its 29-year history, the agency has grown from a staff of 25, serving several hundred clients annually, to a staff of nearly 400 serving 5000 clients in over 20 programs and community collaborations. KMHS is recognized statewide as an excellent provider of mental health services.