2026 Awardees
We are grateful to these social workers for upholding the integrity of the social work profession and for their tireless efforts to serve.
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Entrepreneur of the Year
Kristy Joy Weidner, LCSW, CCTP-1
Kristy Joy Weidner, L.C.S.W., CCTP-1 is the co-owner and clinical director of The Village Center for Holistic Therapy, where she leads a team dedicated to integrating mindfulness, movement, and community care into mental health practice. As a licensed clinical social worker, certified trauma professional, and mindfulness teacher, Kristy specializes in trauma, anxiety, grief, and life transitions, offering both individual and couples therapy rooted in compassion and connection.
A lifelong advocate for accessible wellness, she founded inJOY Meditation at the Rabki Japanese Gardens, creating space for people to slow down, heal, and rediscover joy—both onsite and through corporate wellness programming. Through her clinical leadership, community partnerships, and innovative wellness initiatives, Kristy continues to bridge evidence-based therapy with holistic healing, fostering environments where individuals, families, and communities can thrive.
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Lifetime Achievement
John O'Connell, MSW, LSW
John O’Connell is a dedicated social worker at Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, bringing over 24 years of experience to the field. He earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Throughout his career at Pittsburgh Public, John has served as a school social worker at multiple schools and as Director of Student Support. He began his professional journey in chemical dependency counseling and contributed his expertise to Mercy Hospital’s emergency room, before dedicating himself as a social worker in schools. John is deeply committed to supporting students and families, using his diverse background to address a wide range of challenges. For him, being a social worker is more than a career—it is a true vocation, fueled by his passion for helping others and fostering positive change in his community. His unwavering dedication has made a lasting impact on countless students and their families in Pittsburgh.
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Organization of the Year
Steel Smiling
Steel Smiling bridges the gap between Black people and mental health support through education, advocacy, and community connection. Through initiatives like Beams to Bridges, Steel Smiling trains community members to become mental health advocates, equipping them with the tools to navigate emotional wellness for themselves and others. The organization partners with local providers, leaders, and systems to create spaces where mental health conversations are normalized, resources are accessible, and healing is collective.
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James H. Andrews, PhD, LCSW, LICSW
Forensic and Clinical Social Worker and Professor, Forensic Behavioral Associates
Dr. James H. Andrews is a clinical social worker with expertise in forensic social work. He has been practicing in the field of behavioral health for nearly forty years as a clinical social worker, therapist, administrator, risk manager, consultant and educator. He provides forensic social work consultation as an expert witness. Dr. Andrews holds his PhD in applied social science along with degrees in general management, psychology, and social work. His areas of research are threat assessment and violence, its causes, pre-identification and prediction. He also holds advanced licensure in social work including the LCSW in Pennsylvania and the LICSW in Massachusetts. He provides expert witness services in both civil and criminal cases involving behavioral health malpractice, wrongful death, sexual abuse allegations and death penalty mitigation. Dr. Andrews is very active in his professional association, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and is a Past President of NASW-PA.
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Dr. Kathi Elliott, DNP, MSW, PMHNP-BC
CEO of Gwen’s Girls and convener of the Black Girls Equity Alliance
Dr. Kathi Elliott has over 30 years of experience in nursing, social service, community and individual mental health treatment. She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Chatham University in August 2014. Dr. Elliott also completed dual Master’s degrees in Nursing and Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh in 2008.
Advocacy and giving back to others are values that were instilled in Dr. Kathi Elliott by her mother and founder of Gwen’s Girls, the late Commander Gwen Elliott. Since 2002, Gwen's Girls' mission has been to empower girls and young women to have productive lives through holistic, gender-specific programs, education and experiences through afterschool, school and community-based programming throughout Greater Pittsburgh. A visionary leader, Dr. Elliott has positioned Gwen’s Girls in becoming a well-recognized forerunner in the integration of evidence-based clinical prevention and intervention policies and practices that enhance the child and social welfare system.
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Bethany Hemingway, MSW
Sr. Program Officer Staunton Farm Foundation
Bethany Hemingway is a dedicated advocate and nonprofit leader serving as Senior Program Officer at the Staunton Farm Foundation in Pittsburgh, PA. Since 2010, she has directed $2.3–$3 million in annual grant funding to advance mental health and substance use initiatives, with a strong focus on policy reform and systems-level change. Bethany is a tireless champion for underserved communities, leveraging her expertise to influence Medicaid policy, expand access to behavioral health services, and educate elected officials on evidence-based solutions. Her advocacy spans local, state, and federal levels, and she plays a key role on multiple committees, including Pennsylvania’s 988 Advocacy Committee. With a Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Community Mental Health from SUNY Buffalo, Bethany blends strategic leadership with grassroots engagement. She is a certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer and a respected voice in behavioral health funding, community organizing, and public policy.
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Dr. Toya Jones, Ed.D, LCSW
BASW Program Director and Assistant Professor, Clinical Director Operation Amani
Dr. Jones is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the state of Pennsylvania. She is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Bachelor of Arts Social Work program at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the founder and president of Freedom Indeed LLC, an organization that focuses on serving and empowering returning citizens and victims of crime. She is the Clinical Director of Operation Amini, an organization founded by her husband that focuses on providing returning citizens the services needed to prevent future incarceration and gun violence-related criminal activity.
Dr. Jones has earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University of Pa, a master’s degree in social work, and a doctorate in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Jones is an expert trauma witness and consultant for the United States Federal Courts. She provides trauma-focused therapy, and community education programs for those exposed to violence and traumatic grief. In addition, she facilitates trainings for practitioners, professors, and students in Asia, East Africa, South Africa, and the USA. She is the host of her social work podcast, Healing Overflow with Dr. Toy, streaming on YouTube and all social media and podcast outlets.
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De’netta Benjamin-Miller, LCSW
Executive Director, Sojourner House; Owner, Life Counseling Center, LLC
De’netta Benjamin-Miller, LCSW joined Sojourner House and Sojourner House MOMS, Inc. as Executive Director in October 2019. She has served as a Behavioral Health Therapist for more than 23 years and is a trained EMDR therapist. With over 13 years of program management experience, she also owns and operates Focus on Life Counseling Center, LLC, where she has provided free mental health services to the community. Deeply motivated to help others step into their healing, Mrs. Benjamin-Miller has dedicated her career to advancing behavioral health and wellness.
An alumna of Central State University, Mrs. Benjamin-Miller went on to earn her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Pittsburgh, further solidifying her commitment to the field of social work. In 2023, she expanded her expertise by earning a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate from eCornell University. Ms. Benjamin-Miller served for several years as Democratic Committee Women for the 12th Ward in Allegheny County.
Her leadership and impact have been widely recognized. In 2023, Mrs. Benjamin-Miller was honored with the AALP Bernadette Turner Award, named one of City & State PA’s 100 Women of Power and Diversity, and recognized as a Pittsburgh Business Times “Women of Influence” honoree. She also received the 2024 Passion Meets the Road Runner Award. Beyond her professional and community roles, she proudly serves as a board member of T.H.A.W. (Transforming the Health of African American Women).
Mrs. Benjamin-Miller’s favorite quote: “It is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it.” Nelson Mandela
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Theresa Thao Pham, PhD, LSW
Associate Professor and Assistant Director of MSW Program, Pennsylvania Western University
Dr. Pham has dedicated over 25 years in the social work field. She earned her MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and her PhD from Columbia University. Her passion for social work started as an undergraduate volunteer to teach English to Haitian refugees in Houston, Texas and continued in her post-graduate work at community health clinics, schools, and psychiatric hospitals in Houston, New York City, and Pittsburgh. Dr. Pham extended her love of the field internationally to Morocco, Algeria, and Spain where she conducted research on social work practice with immigrants and refugees. As an educator, she has taught at Smith College School for Social Work and at the University of Maryland. She is currently an Associate Professor and the Assistant Director of the MSW Program at Pennsylvania Western University.