National Council to Honor Four With Awards of Excellence

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 25, 2025) — The National Council for Mental Wellbeing will present Awards of Excellence to four distinguished recipients during NatCon25, the organization’s annual conference and the biggest industry event in the field of mental health and substance use care.

“Our prestigious Awards of Excellence recognize individuals who go above and beyond in service to their communities,” said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council. “This year’s recipients have done so much to help those with a mental health or substance use challenge — each in their own way. I’m honored to recognize their achievements and proud to call them colleagues.”

Anthony Kohl and Miracle Akortha, PSS, MHPS, CFP, each will receive the National Council’s Peer Specialist of the Year Award, which recognizes people with lived experience who work in substance use and mental health treatment to assist clients with their recovery.

Kohl, a New York state-certified Peer, works with VIP Community Services in the Bronx, New York, using his lived experience to support others through their recovery journeys. With more than a decade of experience, Kohl has earned certifications as a Recovery Coach, Certified Peer Recovery Advocate and Office of Mental Health Peer, becoming the first Veteran Supported Recovery Peer in New York.

Akortha, a peer specialist supervisor at The Center for Health Care Services in San Antonio, has more than 12 years of experience in the field. Since June 2023, she has led a team that uses lived experience to assist people facing mental health and substance use challenges in their recovery. Akortha holds certifications as a Peer Support Supervisor, Mental Health Peer Support and Certified Family Partner.

Topher Hansen, JD, and Virna Little, PsyD, LCSW, each will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes health care leaders for their tireless efforts and commitment to improving the lives of those living with mental health and substance use challenges.

Hansen is president and CEO of CenterPointe, a behavioral health organization in Lincoln, Nebraska. He began his career as a volunteer at the Drug Crisis Center in 1975 and has been instrumental in shaping Nebraska’s behavioral health policies. Hansen has led CenterPointe since 2000 and has served three terms as president of the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations. He also chairs the Audit Committee on the Board of the National Council.

Little is the cofounder and advisor of Concert Health and the cofounder and COO of Zero Overdose. With extensive experience integrating primary care and behavioral health, Little previously led the Center for Innovation in Mental Health at City University of New York and served as sr. vice president of a large Federally Qualified Health Clinic network. She is a key figure on national committees and an expert consultant on depression care and the collaborative care model.

These four distinguished awardees will be honored in Philadelphia during NatCon25, where more than 6,000 health care professionals will gather to learn and network from May 5-7.