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With deep gratitude and appreciation, NAMI announces the forthcoming retirement of chief medical officer Dr.\u00a0Ken\u00a0Duckworth on June 30, 2026. Ken Duckworth, MD, joined NAMI in 2003, bringing with him an unwavering commitment to advancing mental health through science, advocacy, and compassionate care. Although he is retiring from the chief medical officer role, he will stay close to the community as a volunteer for both the NAMI HelpLine and the NAMI Scientific Advisory Council.<\/p>\n
\u201cKen\u2019s influence is woven throughout the heart and soul of NAMI. As he prepares to retire after decades of extraordinary service, I\u2019ve found myself reflecting on just how many lives he has touched through his leadership, his compassion, and the way he has always made people feel seen and heard,\u201d said Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., CEO of NAMI. \u201cKen helped push conversations around mental health toward greater humanity, dignity, and hope, while always believing deeply in the importance of bringing together science and lived experience. His impact on this organization and on the broader mental health community will continue to be felt for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
As head of NAMI\u2019s Office of Science and Research (OSR), Dr. Duckworth regularly tackled scientific challenges head on. Responding to frustration in the scientific community, Dr. Duckworth initiated a series of \u201cAdvancing Discovery\u201d convenings focused on spurring new approaches to schizophrenia research. As a result of these meetings, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health launched a public-private partnership program focused on schizophrenia in 2020, with NAMI as a founding partner and steering committee member. The initiative recently launched a proof-of-principle clinical trial that could help improve treatment options for people in the earliest stages of schizophrenia.<\/p>\n
Dr. Duckworth is also the champion and author of NAMI\u2019s first book,\u00a0You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health<\/a>. Featuring the real stories of more than 130 individuals with mental health conditions, the book presents a unique blend of lived expertise, clinical information, and accessible guidance.<\/p>\n Many in the mental health community may know Dr. Duckworth, or Dr. Ken, as the host of the NAMI Ask the Expert webinar series<\/a>. Now one of NAMI\u2019s most popular public forums, NAMI Ask the Expert began as Ask the Doctor, an unmoderated conference call with hundreds of people on the line. While the platform has undergone several upgrades since those early days, the focus has not changed. Every month, Dr. Duckworth and his expert guests connected directly with upwards of 500 audience members, sharing the latest insights and answering questions about mental health.<\/p>\n This draw toward person-to-person connection is a hallmark of Dr. Duckworth\u2019s career.<\/p>\n \u201cAt every single NAMICon I\u2019ve been to, Ken has staffed an \u2018Ask Dr. Ken\u2019 table. Without fail, he stays at that table until he has spoken to every person in line, making them feel like they\u2019re the only person in the room,\u201d said Teri Brister, PhD, senior science advisor at NAMI. \u201cMany people have credited those conversations with Ken as the empowerment they needed to talk with their providers, or their loved one\u2019s providers, about life-changing treatment decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Duckworth\u2019s pursuit of psychiatry as a vocation stemmed from his own experiences with his father\u2019s bipolar disorder, which ultimately led him to become board certified in both adult and child\/adolescent psychiatry.<\/p>\n Across his varied professional roles \u2014 from running a community mental health center to serving as acting commissioner of mental health in Massachusetts \u2014 he has continuously applied his own experiences and expertise in the service of helping others navigate their own mental health journey. He has taught at Harvard Medical School and the Boston University School of Public Health, served as a board member of the American Association for Community Psychiatry, advocated for parity in insurance coverage for mental health conditions, and worked as a psychiatrist on an assertive community treatment team.<\/p>\n In recognition of his long career of service, Dr. Duckworth was named one of Modern Healthcare\u2019s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives of 2023<\/a>. He was also honored by the Society of Biological Psychiatry, receiving their Humanitarian Award in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n On July 1, Dr. Christine Crawford will assume the role of chief medical officer.\u00a0The transition marks the next chapter in a long working relationship that began when Dr. Crawford first crossed paths with Dr. Duckworth during her medical school residency. Dr. Crawford officially joined NAMI in 2020 as the organization\u2019s associate medical director and has been serving as interim chief medical officer and director of the Office of Science and Research since April 1, 2026.<\/p>\n NAMI thanks Dr. Duckworth for his visionary leadership and dedication to the community. His professional legacy is one of resolute hope, and we look forward to seeing this legacy carry forward into his new roles, at NAMI and beyond.<\/p>\n