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. Dr. Lawson founded MadeWell OBGYN in Dallas, Texas. She is also the Medical Director for Abounding Prosperity, a community-based organization that addresses HIV disparities in target, Black communities and principal investigator for the EBONI study researching HIV prevention in Black women. Dr. Lawson is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, member of the Texas Medical Association, and a delegate for the Dallas County Medical Society.
On January 10, 2025, the APA’s Improving Cultural Congruency Across the Mental Healthcare Delivery Network symposium brought together mental health professionals at APA’s headquarters for an important conversation on demonstrating cultural humility while providing mental health care. The meeting was opened with an inspiring keynote provided by the 124th President of the National Medical Association, Yolanda Lawson, M.D. This was followed by expert-led discussions by psychiatrists from across the country, who explored key strategies to help deliver more culturally attuned care. In a post-event evaluation, 100% of the respondents noted that the convening left them feeling inspired and better prepared to integrate the strategies covered at the symposium into their respective practices. This event reinforced the ongoing need for intentional learning, self-reflection, and systemic change to create a more inclusive mental health care system.
