Announcement
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Atlanta is proud to celebrate a remarkable milestone in our community’s mental -health leadership: Dr. Omar Aziz, Deputy Director of Programs, has been named a 2025 Champion of Evidence-Based Psychological Interventions by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).
This honor recognizes national leaders who advance high-quality mental health practices, expand access to care, and demonstrate exceptional commitment to communities often overlooked by mainstream systems. Dr. Aziz embodies these values every day, and with every family we serve.
A National Honor Rooted in Community Impact
At the 2025 ABCT Convention, Dr. Aziz participated in the prestigious Champions Panel, where he shared insights drawn from years of community-centered mental health work, particularly with refugee, immigrant, and linguistically diverse populations.
According to the ABCT Awards & Recognition Committee, chaired by Dr. Anne M. Donnelly, the panel became one of the most talked-about sessions of the entire conference. Attendees praised its depth, honesty, and relevance—affirming the urgency of the work Dr. Aziz leads here in Atlanta.
In her note to honorees, Dr. Donnelly shared:
“I’ve heard from many people that the panel was one of the best sessions they attended — a testament to how important and interesting your work is, and how insightful and thought-provoking the discussion was.”
For the IRC, this feedback reflects what we see every day: Dr. Aziz’s leadership not only strengthens mental health programming inside our organization but also elevates the national conversation on how to bridge gaps for communities facing cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers to care.
A New Invitation to Shape the Future of Mental Health Practice
In recognition of his contributions, ABCT extended an additional invitation for Dr. Aziz to serve in an advisory capacity to its Dissemination, Implementation, and Community Engagement Committee.
This committee plays a critical role in shaping how evidence-based mental health practices reach underserved populations across the U.S. and beyond. By contributing his expertise, Dr. Aziz will help ensure national strategies reflect the realities and strengths of communities like those the IRC serves.
His participation reinforces the IRC’s commitment to advancing equitable, culturally responsive, and community-driven mental health services on a broader scale.
A Track Record of Innovation and Statewide Impact
Dr. Aziz is redefining what community-driven mental health looks like in Georgia and beyond. His co-leadership of the IRC & CORE Community Health Response Team produced one of the nation’s most effective multilingual public -health models, now peer-reviewed and published in Frontiers in Public Health as the blueprint for reaching refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10668494/
His influence extends statewide. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spotlighted his pioneering work to confront Georgia’s refugee mental-health crisis—elevating populations long ignored by mainstream behavioral-health systems.
Inside the IRC, Dr. Aziz has transformed mental health delivery by expanding trauma-informed clinical services, building linguistically accessible care across dozens of cultures, driving research partnerships, and positioning the organization as a training hub for a variety of evidence-based models.
And beyond direct service, Dr. Aziz ensures refugee and immigrant voices shape Georgia’s behavioral health policies—making the system more responsive, more equitable, and more humane.
A Moment of Pride for IRC and the Communities We Serve
Dr. Aziz’s recognition as a 2025 ABCT Champion is a celebration of the resilience, insight, and leadership that refugee and immigrant communities bring to the field of mental health. It is a recognition of the IRC’s commitment to evidence-based, community-rooted care. And it is a powerful reminder that the most impactful innovations often begin with listening deeply to the people at the center of the story.
We are proud of Dr. Aziz and grateful for the vision, expertise, and humanity he brings to the IRC every day.
Congratulations, Dr. Aziz — this honor is richly deserved.
To learn more about the work of the IRC in Atlanta and for information on how you can get involved with the IRC as a donor or volunteer, please contact Development Director, Heloise Ahoure, at Heloise.Ahoure@rescue.org or 770-570-9156.
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