Alliance Receives Award from University of Tennessee Health Science Center
- Alliance Healthcare Services
- 25 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Alliance Healthcare Services has been honored by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) with an award recognizing our commitment to mental health care in Memphis and across Tennessee.
Recognition for Compassion and Excellence
UTHSC Chancellor Dr. Peter Buckley presented the award to Alliance CEO Laurie Powell at a recent ceremony. In his remarks, Chancellor Buckley reflected on how societies are often measured by their care for the most vulnerable, particularly those facing mental health challenges.
He described Alliance as a premier mental health provider, not just in Tennessee, but nationally, and praised the organization's facilities for demonstrating compassion and dignity to people in their most difficult moments. From the welcoming physical spaces to the quality of care provided, Chancellor Buckley emphasized that Alliance serves as a model for how mental health services should be delivered.
Training the Next Generation of Mental Health Providers
The award recognizes more than just Alliance's current work. It celebrates a growing partnership between Alliance and UTHSC that will train the next generation of mental health providers.
"I've got a passion for partnering with community leaders," said CEO Laurie Powell. "We can partner and create new programs just by meeting together as leaders and saying, 'What are you seeing in your emergency rooms? What are we seeing in our crisis unit?'"
Powell emphasized that these partnerships help train providers who are committed to community care.
Opening Early 2026: Children and Youth Wellness Center
Alliance is preparing to open a new Children and Youth Wellness Center at 602 Malcolmb Street in early 2026. This facility will serve children and teens ages 4-17 who are facing mental health challenges.
The new center follows the same model as Alliance's successful adult Crisis Wellness Center at 3200 Broad Avenue. The goal is to reduce wait times in emergency rooms, prevent unnecessary incarcerations, and ensure young people receive appropriate mental health care regardless of their family's ability to pay.
Early intervention can make a lasting difference in a young person's life. The Children and Youth Wellness Center will provide crisis assessment, short-term stabilization, and connection to ongoing community-based care.
A Commitment to Memphis
Alliance Healthcare Services has served Shelby County for over 50 years, providing mental health and addiction recovery services to more than 22,000 residents each year.
Our Crisis Wellness Center operates 24/7 and is the largest crisis facility in Tennessee.
The award from UTHSC recognizes Alliance's "remarkable compassion and excellence in mental health services and tireless advocacy on behalf of the mental health of the citizens of Memphis and Tennessee."
This recognition reinforces what our Alliance team already knows: partnerships between healthcare institutions, community organizations, and dedicated professionals create stronger support systems for people who need help most.
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