Phyllis Harrison-Ross

Phyllis Harrison-Ross (August 14, 1936 – January 16, 2017) was an American psychiatrist who pioneered programs for developmentally disabled and mentally ill children.

Early life and education She received a B.S. from Albion College in 1956 and an M.D. from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1959. She completed a fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine from 1964 to 1966.

She was the first in her field to start programs for children with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses. Her programs were implemented in public schools and reduced the institutionalization of children. She also studied the effects of poverty on children and treated children for phobias. In the 1970s, she hosted a talk show and co-hosted a radio show that educated parents. After 9/11, the World Trade Center attack, and Hurricane Katrina, she helped victims recover from disaster-induced mental illness.

She received the Leadership in Medicine Award of the Susan Smith McKinney Stewart Society in 1978, the Award of Merit of the Public Health Association of New York City in 1980, and the Solomon Carter Fuller Award of the American Psychiatric Association in 2004.

Death Harrison-Ross died of lung cancer on January 16, 2017.