Susan Kobzar, an instructor in the Consumers as Providers Training Program, received first place in Eli Lilly and Company’s annual Reintegration Awards.

The awards, which Lilly established 11 years ago, recognize mental health professionals and individuals battling severe mental illness for their exceptional contributions and achievements by honoring treatment teams, programs and services that assist those with severe mental illness as they re-enter the community, as well as individuals with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia who provide hope and support to their peers.

Kobzar won first place in the competition’s Employment Division. The Consumers as Providers program is a qualified Certified Peer Specialist Training Program at Kansas University’s School of Social Welfare, providing opportunities to individuals recovering from a psychiatric disability by helping them gain and retain meaningful employment.