Dr. Abraham L. Halpern (February 2, 1925 - April 20, 2013) was a Professor Emeritus of
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry.
Initial psych ...
at
New York Medical College
New York Medical College (NYMC or New York Med) is a private medical school in Valhalla, New York. Founded in 1860, it is a member of the Touro College and University System.
NYMC offers advanced degrees through its three schools: the School o ...
and former president of The
American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.
In a wide-ranging career, Dr. Halpern was a champion of human rights especially in matters of law and mental health and was one of the founding leaders of the psychiatric sub-specialty of
forensic psychiatry.
In 1965, Dr. Halpern participated in the
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...
with
Martin Luther King Jr., manning one of the ambulances in support of protestors.
Dr. Halpern had been a long-standing member of the UN Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice, representing both the International Council of Prison Medical Services and the
World Psychiatric Association
The World Psychiatric Association is an international umbrella organisation of psychiatric societies.
Objectives and goals
Originally created to produce world psychiatric congresses, it has evolved to hold regional meetings, to promote profess ...
.
Halpern was a board member of
Friends of Falun Gong, USA. Halpern is also a very strong opponent of the death penalty; he has written extensively on the subject of
physician participation in executions. Halpern has also spoke out in defense of the curative benefits of psychoanalysis. Halpern has advocated for the abolition of the insanity defense
Military service
Served on active duty in Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve from Sep. 24, 1942 to Nov. 30, 1945 in European, North Atlantic, and Pacific theatres.
Rank on discharge: Petty Officer.
Served in Royal Canadian Navy, 1953-1957, as follows:
Medical Officer, R.C.N. Hospital, Esquimalt, BC, July to Nov., 1953.
Medical Officer, H.M.C.S. "Cayuga", Nov., 1953 to Feb., 1955 - Far East (Korea).
Medical Officer, R.C.N. Hospital, Cornwallis, NS, Apr., 1955 to Sep., 1956.
Medical Officer, R.C.N. Hospital, Halifax, NS, Sep., 1956 to June, 1957.
Rank on discharge: Surgeon Lieutenant Commander.
Awards
* In 2000 Dr. Halpern was given the Human Rights Award from the
American Psychiatric Association
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 37,000 members are involve ...
.
* In 2003 he received the Medical Society State of New York's President's Citizenship Award.
* In 2004 he received the William C. Menninger Memorial Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Science of Mental Health from the ''
American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians (ACP) is a national organization of internists, who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults.Sokanu "What is an Internist?" Retrieved October 20, 2014 With 161,000 members, ACP is the largest ...
''.
''College announces service awardees and new Masters'', March, 2004. Retrieved on 2015-05-23.
Published works
* 'Soviet Psychiatry:An Exchange' (1989)
* ''Sweet Auburn: Recollections of a Prison Psychiatrist''. (Frank Nesbit, 1999).
* 'The Culture of Control' (2003)
References
External links
Shrinkpod One on One Talk with Dr. Abraham Halpern (part 1)
(part 2)
(part 3)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halpern, Abraham
American psychiatrists
American human rights activists
State University of New York faculty
New York Medical College faculty
2013 deaths
1925 births