Riggs to be recognized for work in adolescent substance abuse treatment

Paula Riggs, professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has been selected the 2013 recipient of the Kathleen Ann Mullen Award for “Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Adolescent Health and Medicine,” given by the Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (RM-SAHM).

The regional chapter's highest award, which will be presented later this month, recognizes Riggs for her distinguished career through clinical work and research in the field of adolescent substance abuse treatment.

In the award notification to Riggs, Elsie Humes, president of RM-SAHM, said: “You  have contributed to the health and well being of adolescents by your clinical work and research in the field of adolescent substance abuse treatment. Not only having done this research on adolescents with substance abuse and psychiatric disorders you have been able to put this research into practice in many schools, private practice and specialty clinics. Your dedication to improving the lives of adolescents has made you highly respected by those who serve youth and very serving of this award.”

The honor is named for Kathleen Ann Mullen who completed her graduate nursing work at the University of Colorado School of Nursing, where she became certified as a nurse practitioner. For 28 years, Mullen worked for the Denver Neighborhood Health Program, and she helped operate the East Side Teen Clinic. Mullen died in 1996 of breast cancer.