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Basseterre, St. Kitts, (May 21, 2019 ):  Former St.Kitts-Nevis Ambassador to the USA, Dr. IzBen Williams, was among psychiatrists elected by the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to be honored, and publicly acknowledged as an International Fellow, during the APA’s 2019 Convocation of Distinguished Fellows.  The ceremony was held on Monday, May 20, 2019 at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, where the APA convened its 175^th Annual Meeting, from 18 to 22 May.

Being elected to International Fellow, according to the APA official correspondence to Dr. Williams, means that “……you join an elite group of psychiatrists with this honorary distinction who continue to make significant contributions to the field of Psychiatry.”

The APA website indicates that International Fellow status is an honor that reflects dedication to the work of the APA and signifies your allegiance to the ideals of the psychiatric profession.     

Eighteen psychiatrists from among the APA’s global membership, who were deemed to have met the criteria for International Fellow eligibility, and who would have received the endorsement of their respective regional associations or accreditation bodies, were so honored at the 2019 Convocation.  The inductees were presented with an embossed International Fellow certificate and a lapel pin in recognition of their status.

Also recognized and honored at the 2019 Convocation as exceptional Members or Fellows of the APA were dozens of psychiatrists who have made significant contributions in other recognized categories and who reflect the APA’s hallmark of dedication and excellence. The APA has a global membership of about thirty-nine thousand psychiatrists.

Dr. Williams, a Professor and Director in the Department of Behavioral Science and Medical Ethics at Windsor University School of Medicine, and Chair of the University’s Committee on Faculty Affairs and Development, has practiced medicine since 1977, specializing in Psychiatry from 1988.  He received his undergraduate education from the University of Toronto and his professional training at the University of the West Indies and the George Washington University.

In 2012 Dr. Williams, in collaboration with his psychiatric colleague the late Professor Frank Ervin, founded the Ripple Institute SKN, a Non-Governmental Organization that ‘Promotes the Wholesome Development of Children and Youth, and Advocates for Vulnerable Groups’.

In responding to enquiry about his reaction to the recognition Dr. Williams says that while expressing gratitude to the APA for the honor, and for whatever considerations the APA’s Board of Trustees may have thought made him deserving of it, he also thanked the many persons who would have contributed to his professional development over many years.

“I do think, however,” he continued, “that this recognition is as much an honor to my country, St. Kitts and Nevis, where I have served all of my professional life, as it may be an acknowledgement of any professional attainments I could claim.”

SKNIS joins family, colleagues and patients, friends and well-wishers in heartily congratulating Dr. Williams on his achievements and on this international professional recognition.