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Achieve Mental Health Equity Update: Winter 2025
In this issue, we feature APA’s mental health equity champion, Jonathan Shepherd, M.D. Dr. Shepherd explains that to be a champion you must “be bold about what you stand for. You must be bold, and you must be courageous. That alone will make you a mental health equity champion.”

Mental Health Equity Champion Spotlight – Dr. Jonathan Shepherd
Jonathan Shepherd, M.D., is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. Dr. Shepherd is the Chief Clinical Officer for the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health. He is also a part-time staff psychiatrist at The Ross Center.

Social Determinants of Mental Health Spotlight: Highlights from the Social Determinants of Mental Health Convening
The American Psychiatric Association recently hosted a groundbreaking convening focused on integrating social determinants of mental health (SDOMH) into psychiatric care and education.

Advocacy in Action: 2025 Update on Maternal Mental Health Priorities
Promoting federal legislation that improves health and mental health outcomes for underserved populations is an important component to APA’s advocacy mission.

Podcast Premiere: Season Two of Women Psychiatrists Caucus Chats Premieres This March
Anjali Gupta, M.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

New Learning Bundle Available for 4 CME Credits on Substance Use and Addiction
The American Psychiatric Association has curated "Voices for Change: Substance Use and Addiction in Minoritized/Marginalized Communities" as a self-paced series available in our learning center.

From Competence to Humility: Advancing Culturally Responsive Mental Health Care
Yolanda Lawson, M.D., FACOG, is Immediate Past President of the National Medical Association. She is the Executive Medical Director at Health Care Services Corporation and leads initiatives to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

Culture Corner: Culinary Medicine for Positive Mental and Physical Health
Variety may be the spice of life, but a variety of spices might be just what the doctor orders for a long and healthy life. Spices bring dishes to life, defining flavor profiles that impart distinctiveness to cuisines.

Achieve Mental Health Equity Update: Fall 2024
In this issue, we bring you a closer look at transformative efforts and inspiring voices in the field of mental health equity. From spotlights on groundbreaking initiatives to deep dives into lifestyle psychiatry, each section is designed to provide updates, insights, and actionable guidance to strengthen our shared commitment to health equity.

Mental Health Equity Champion Spotlight: Amir Ahuja, M.D.
Dr. Ahuja is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is a leading voice for the LGBTQ+ community.

Lifestyle Psychiatry and Social Determinants of Mental Health Spotlight: Gia Merlo, M.D. M.B.A., M.Ed.
Dr. Merlo is clinical professor of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, associate editor of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) past chair of the Mental and Behavioral Health Member Interest Group, member of three committees in ACLM (Research, Climate Change, and Positive Psychology), contributing author to ACLM’s board review course, and founding chair of the APA Caucus on Lifestyle Psychiatry and has recently been appointment chair of the APA Presidential Workgroup on Lifestyle Psychiatry.

Advocacy in Action: An Update on Maternal Mental Health
As a core component of APA’s advocacy strategy, promoting federal legislation that improves health and mental health outcomes for minority and underserved populations is central to combating the current lack of equitable healthcare available to all Americans.