Marie-Claude Rigaud, M.D.

2015 George Tarjan Award Recipient

Lecture Title: Mind Over Disaster: Overcoming the Challenges of Mental Health Plan Implementation in Low Income Countries

Dr. Rigaud was born in Haiti and earned her medical degree from Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université d'Haïti, in 1962 before completing her psychiatric residency at Seton Psychiatric Institute in Baltimore from 1966 to 1969. Committed to advancing mental health care in Haiti, she founded and continues to lead Rebati Sante Mentale (www.rebatisantementale.org), an organization working in collaboration with Haiti’s Health Department to strengthen mental health services across the country. An active member of the APA’s Women’s and IMG Caucuses, she is also a Distinguished Life Fellow of the APA. In recognition of her contributions, Dr. Rigaud received the George Tarjan Award in 2015.