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Dr. Casey Jo Cottrill of Barbour Community Health Association is the West Virginia Psychological Association’s 2026 Early Career Citizen Psychologist. She was honored September 19 at the association’s annual conference, which draws psychologists, educators and mental health workers from around the state.
The association chose Cottrill for her work bringing behavioral health care to rural schools, leading integrated care and working to shore up the systems that support children, families and the teams that serve them. The award goes to people whose work furthers the association’s goals: wider access to good mental health care, public education about psychology and the development of current and future psychologists.
Cottrill, a West Virginia Wesleyan College graduate, joined the association in 2022. My Buckhannon reported in December that Barbour Community Health Association named Cottrill its director of school-based health.
Her work has centered on making behavioral health care easier for students to reach. She created and chaired a quality improvement and quality assurance subcommittee for school-based health centers so the program would lean more on data in setting and reaching its goals. When she found obstacles keeping students from walk-in behavioral health services, she led a rewrite of the school-based consent forms so they matched the services actually offered. She then researched and set up a virtual platform that makes the consent process simpler for families. She has also trained school staff and students on a range of mental health topics.
“Rural school-based health is uniquely challenging, but is also a source for meaningful, values-driven work,” Cottrill said. “I’m especially proud that this award provides an opportunity to shine a light on the impact of school-based health and the difference it can make for our communities.”
“Dr. Cottrill’s leadership and dedication have strengthened behavioral health access for children and families across Barbour County,” said Eric Ruf, the association’s chief executive officer.
Outside the clinic, Cottrill is a member of the Barbour County Bright Futures Coalition. She also supervises third-year Marshall University students at a practicum site, mentoring psychologists in training.
