The National Register of Health Service Psychologists has presented its 2023 Alfred M. Wellner Lifetime Achievement Award for Practice to Dr. Fred Millán of the State University of New York at Old Westbury.
This award is named in honor of the National Register’s first Executive Officer, Alfred M. Wellner, Ph.D. The Wellner awards, offered for research and practice, are the highest honors bestowed by the National Register. The practice award is presented to a National Register credentialed psychologist who has demonstrated—via clinical innovation, outreach, legislation, community engagement, or policy and social advocacy—that they have advanced the standing of health service psychology.
Dr. Millán is a bilingual Latinx psychologist, Distinguished Service Professor in the University's Psychology Department, and director of the graduate Mental Health Counseling program at SUNY Old Westbury. The National Register’s Awards Committee selected Dr. Millán for the Wellner Award for Practice for his commitment to social justice and the well-being of underrepresented and underserved populations.
“I am honored and humbled to have received the Alfred M. Wellner Lifetime Achievement Award for Practice from the National Register, an organization that I have long respected for its commitment to credentialling psychologists to ensure the provision of quality health services," said Dr. Millán upon receiving the award. "The award is particularly meaningful to me because it recognizes my commitment to social justice and the well-being of underrepresented and underserved populations through my practice, academic, regulatory and governance work. The work is ongoing, challenging, and integral to our profession as psychologists but often goes unnoticed or unappreciated as the populations themselves. I want to acknowledge my colleagues also engaging in this struggle. So, thanks again, to the National Register for the recognition of my work, those I represent and those who came before who paved the way.”
Dr. Daniel Elchert, CEO of the National Register, lauded Dr. Millán’s distinguished career: “The National Register is pleased to honor Dr. Millán through the 2023 Wellner Lifetime Achievement Award for Practice. Dr. Millán’s distinguished career of leadership through practice, regulatory work, and governance has made health service psychology a more inclusive profession.”
Dr. Millán’s impressive record to the profession includes service as the Former President of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, Former Chair of the New York State Board for Psychology, Former President of the National Latinx Psychological Association, and Former Chair of the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee.
He earned his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College/Columbia University and certificate in adult psychoanalysis from the William Alanson White Institute. Dr. Millán is licensed in New York State and board certified in Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology with a subspecialty in Psychoanalysis by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He maintains a part time private practice in Spanish and English, also providing clinical supervision to psychology doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and psychiatric residents.
Dr. Millán currently serves as Chair of the American Insurance Trust Board of Trustees; member of the University Faculty Senate Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee; member of the New York State Board for Licensure/Discipline; Chair, EPPP-I Domain 8 (Ethical/Legal/Professional Issues) Item Writing Committee; NLPA delegate to the newly formed Coalition of National Racial and Ethnic Psychology Associations; and member of the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) Steering Committee. Dr. Millán is a Fellow of ASPPB, the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Academia de Liderazgo, and the SUNY HLI.
Dr. Millán has been credentialed by the National Register since 2001.
About the National Register of Health Service Psychologists
The National Register of Health Service Psychologists was established in 1974 and is the largest nonprofit credentialing organization for licensed psychologists and psychology doctoral students. The National Register is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare by identifying psychologists who meet specific education and training standards, and by verifying these professionals to consumers, healthcare organizations, and regulatory bodies. The National Register currently credentials 10,000 Health Service Psychologists and has approximately 5,000 psychology doctoral student and postdoctoral trainee members in its Associate Program.