Carl C. Bell Memorial Award
In honor of Dr. Carl Bell’s Memorial Award, this year’s topic underscores a focal point of Dr. Bell’s work. Dr. Bell developed community-based mental health initiatives which encouraged inclusivity in psychiatry developing stronger communities. Hence, this year’s topic will highlight COMMUNITY. Community is defined as a group of people who share a common interest, identity, or set of values. They may or may not live in the same place. Communities can be local, national, or international.
2025 TOPIC QUESTION:
How do you experience your community whether it is local, national, social media based?
Discuss how your sense of belonging within your community changed or evolved recently with the epidemic of loneliness or other societal stressors.
Discuss solutions to encourage or inspire belongingness to make your community more secure and/or open to others
*Completing the above submission form is preferred. If you are unable to use the submission form, a paper copy of the essay can be mailed to Illinois Psychiatric Society 113 McHenry Rd, Ste 239, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089. In addition to the guidelines stated above, please provide the following information:
• Author’s Full Name
• Address
• Contact Email Address and Phone Number
• Age
• Grade
• School District
• Name of School
JUDGING:
Papers will be judged on originality, relevance to the assigned topic, grammar, thoughtfulness, creativity, and use of references.
RESULTS:
Submitted essays will be judged after the deadline of May 15, 2025. Please check this page and/or the IPS social media channels for winner updates in September.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND HOW TO ENTER:
Deadline for Essay Submissions: May 15, 2025
• Open to ALL Illinois High School Students. (Must either live in or go to school in Illinois)
• Submissions containing profanity or intolerance of others will be discarded.
• It is preferred for the papers to be type-written but neat handwriting will also be accepted.
• Papers should be between 400-600 words maximum, double-spaced, and font size 12.
AWARD PRIZE:
$500 Cash Prize
Plus, the winning submission will be presented at the 2025 IPS Annual Meeting on September 6 and published in
“Mind Matters,” the official IPS publication.
Winners will be notified through the email on the submission form no later than August 1, 2025. The winners have 30 days to respond to the notification email. If there is no response within 30 days, the winners will forfeit any prize funds.
Second and third place award recipients will receive a
$250 cash prize.
ABOUT THIS AWARD:
Since the inception of the IPS Health Equity and Anti-Racism committee (HEAR-C), it has focused on community outreach, including working with schools. Therefore, the annual Carl C. Bell, MD Memorial Award Essay Contest was born.
The Carl Bell Memorial Award was established to honor the late Carl Bell, M.D who was a remarkable psychiatrist and nationally known for his community psychiatry work, especially on the Southside of Chicago. Dr. Bell authored over 500 publications and was the recipient of many awards throughout his career. In addition to working on many national scientific boards, Dr. Bell was a vocal crusader for health equity and violence prevention in underserved communities, and a pioneer in alcohol research with developing our current understanding of the long-term effects of in-utero alcohol exposure. He was a well-respected and beloved teacher, colleague, mentor and clinician. Thus, the Carl C. Bell Memorial Award was developed in his honor to continue to fight for mental health equity, end community violence and inspire our youth for future greatness.
2023 Carl C. Bell Memorial Award Winner:
Donovan Hopkins
2024 Carl C. Bell Memorial Award Winner:
Ataysia Self
Make A Donation
In order to grow our Carl Bell Essay Competition and provide more awards and scholarships to students over the next several years, please consider donating to the fund that will go directly to these students who are participating in our essay competitions. IPS greatly appreciates any contribution that helps us make a difference.