AIHI’s Momentum Awards celebrate industry professionals who are using innovation and disruptions to move behavioral health care forward.

Please view the Momentum Awards here:

Click HERE  to view the Momentum Awards.

Click on each awardee’s name to read their full bio:

• Sector Innovator Award – Mozzaz, Rini Gahir, CEO
• Advocacy Champion Award- Taraji P. Henson and the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
• Research Pioneer Award- Dr. Rinad Beidas, PhD.
• Population Health Leader Award- Steven R. Carson, MHA, BSN, RN
• Partnership Award- Valerie L. Mielke, MSW

About the awardees:

Click on the links below to view each awardee’s website:

Mozzaz, Rini Gahir, CEO & Co-Founder

From its very beginnings, Mozzaz has been focused on personalized care delivery with a heart. Fueled by personal passion, CEO and co-founder Rini Gahir has made it his mission to create solutions and connect individuals with complex care conditions to resources that allow them to live lives of inclusion, participation, and independence. As the agency has grown, the technology has expanded to become a powerful, versatile tool that reduces the barriers to caring for individuals with some of the most complex needs in our communities.  And they have never lost their heart.

Taraji P. Henson, the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation

Taraji P. Henson and the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation have been tireless advocates for furthering the national focus on the importance of mental health support for the African-American community. Launched in 2018 in honor of her late father, Taraji P. Henson, and the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation provides scholarships to African-American students majoring in mental health, offers mental health services to youth in urban schools, and works to lower recidivism rates of African-American men and women.  What is so wonderful about their advocacy, is that it doesn’t only include innovative outreach programming; it also includes strengthening the diversity and inclusion of the mental health workforce.   

Taraji P. Henson is an Academy Award-nomination and Golden Globe-winning actor, filmmaker, and activist.

Dr. Rinad Beidas, PhD., Penn Implementation Science Center 

Dr. Beidas has leveraged the strength of data and research to not only propel development and innovation within the sector, but she has also demonstrated a true commitment to ensuring that vulnerable communities receive high-quality care. With over 200 peer-reviewed publications and a commitment to training the next generation through mentoring, Dr. Biedas serves as an international leader in implementation sciences. She and her team truly exemplify how the intersection of data and compassion can make a difference.

Steven R. Carson, MHA, BSN, RN, Temple Center for Population Health 

Steven Carson and the Temple Center for Population Health are innovative in how they approach care models and partnerships to support population health. With over 30 years of leadership experience in both academic and community-based delivery systems, Mr. Carson leads collaborative efforts to serve the community. One great example was the program they implemented with RHD for the Housing Smart program (connected homeless individuals to resources and supports so they don’t have to utilize the ED). Additionally, they are doing important work in support of value-based care models, and are open to working with not only local stakeholders but regional and national partners to further strong population health models.

Valerie L. Mielke, MSW, New Jersey Department of Human Services

Currently serving as the Assistant Commissioner for the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Service in the Department of Human Services, Valerie Mielke is well-recognized throughout the provider community in our state as someone who is a true partner in care for our communities. She is authentic, is always willing to listen, provides productive input, and is open to innovations that will help improve the health and wellness of the individuals and families we serve.