Pennsylvania Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman to Lecture at Pitt

PITTSBURGH—Pennsylvania Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle B. Richman will be the featured speaker at noon Sept. 30 for the annual Norman J. and Alice Chapman Rubash Distinguished Lecture in Law and Social Work. The free, public lecture will be held in the Teplitz Moot Courtroom in Pitt's Barco Law Building, 3900 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Richman's talk, "System Interpretation: Mental Health and Child Welfare," will be followed by a response from a panel of experts, including: Jonathan Budd, director of operations for KidsVoice; Marc Cherna, director of Allegheny County Department of Human Services; The Honorable Kim Berkeley Clark, supervising judge for Juvenile Court, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas; and Walter Smith Jr., executive director of Family Resources. Morton Coleman, professor emeritus in Pitt's School of Social Work, will moderate the discussion.

A nationally recognized expert on issues of behavioral health and children's services, Richman was appointed to her current position by Governor Edward G. Rendell on Jan. 12, 2003, and confirmed by the Senate two months later.

Her career spans more than 25 years of public service, including her most recent position as the first female managing director for the City of Philadelphia, responsible for oversight of 13 city departments. Prior to that, Richman served as Philadelphia's first Director of Social Services. Her efforts led to a more integrated and coordinated health and social service delivery system for Philadelphia's children, adults, and families.

A nationally recognized expert on issues of behavioral health and children's services, Richman has been honored for her advocacy efforts by the Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Medical Association, among others.

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