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Education
- Residency and Fellowship in Public Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Achievements and Publications
- Behavioral Healthcare Professional of the Year award from the Crisis Intervention Team International Convention in 2021
- Named Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
- Women of Influence: Healthcare Champion Award in 2019
- Tucson Police Department's Medal of Honor in 2018
- Doctor of the Year in 2017 from the National Council for Behavioral Health.
- The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, titled “Using Lean to Rapidly and Sustainably Transform a Behavioral Health Crisis Program: Impact on Throughput and Safety.”
Biography
Professional experience
Dr. Margaret "Margie" Balfour, MD, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. She has been instrumental in crisis intervention work and is the Chief of Quality and Clinical Innovation at Connections Health Solutions. In this role, she leads the Tucson Crisis Response Center (CRC), an innovative facility that provides observation and evaluation for individuals in crisis. Under her leadership, the CRC has become a leading example in the U.S. for best practices in crisis care.
Dr. Balfour's contributions to mental health crisis intervention have earned her several prestigious awards. She received the Behavioral Healthcare Professional of the Year award at the 2021 Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International Convention for her work integrating law enforcement with behavioral health crisis services in Tucson and Pima County. This collaboration was praised for enhancing the success of police-led diversion programs. In addition to her CIT work, Dr. Balfour has been recognized with the Women of Influence: Healthcare Champion Award in 2019 and the Tucson Police Department's Medal of Honor in 2018. She was also named a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and received the Doctor of the Year award from the National Council for Behavioral Health in 2017.
Her leadership extends to the development and delivery of CIT training to first responders, helping ensure law enforcement officers are equipped to manage mental health crises safely and compassionately. She continues to work toward improving the behavioral health crisis system, particularly as the 9-8-8 mental health emergency number begins to roll out across the U.S., which she believes has the potential to transform mental health care in a manner similar to how 9-1-1 revolutionized emergency services.
For more about her work and contributions, you can view her profile at the University of Arizona College of Medicine website.
Dr. Balfour's contributions to mental health crisis intervention have earned her several prestigious awards. She received the Behavioral Healthcare Professional of the Year award at the 2021 Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International Convention for her work integrating law enforcement with behavioral health crisis services in Tucson and Pima County. This collaboration was praised for enhancing the success of police-led diversion programs. In addition to her CIT work, Dr. Balfour has been recognized with the Women of Influence: Healthcare Champion Award in 2019 and the Tucson Police Department's Medal of Honor in 2018. She was also named a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and received the Doctor of the Year award from the National Council for Behavioral Health in 2017.
Her leadership extends to the development and delivery of CIT training to first responders, helping ensure law enforcement officers are equipped to manage mental health crises safely and compassionately. She continues to work toward improving the behavioral health crisis system, particularly as the 9-8-8 mental health emergency number begins to roll out across the U.S., which she believes has the potential to transform mental health care in a manner similar to how 9-1-1 revolutionized emergency services.
For more about her work and contributions, you can view her profile at the University of Arizona College of Medicine website.
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