News and Updates
56 Results
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APA SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program Highlight: Dr. Atasha Jordan
Meet Dr. Atasha Jordan, an APA SAMHSA Minority Fellow. The SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) aims to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health care outcomes for racial and ethnic populations.
DC Health Link’s “Mental Health Care is Essential to Good Health Town Hall”
Deputy Medical Director and Chief of Diversity and Health Equity, Dr. Regina S. James presented “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care” at the town hall to further the conversation surrounding disparities, COVID-19, barriers to access, and how we can all promote mental health.
Achieve Mental Health Equity Update: Fall 2022
Each quarter, we will seek to highlight your expertise and professional accomplishments and welcome you to our activities and learning opportunities. We hope to strengthen communication and enhance your work in serving the needs of evolving, diverse and underserved patient populations. We look forward to continuing to develop avenues to think creatively and critically to #AchieveMentalHealthEquity.
![Olivia Okereke](/getmedia/908ad28d-17f8-485e-aea8-ce25e7a4302c/Olivia-Okereke.jpg?width=345&height=345&ext=.jpg)
APA Member Serves as Inaugural Director of MGH Psychiatry Center for Racial Equity and Justice
APA sat down with Director Olivia I. Okereke, M.D., M.S. to learn more about the MGH Psychiatry Center for Racial Equity and Justice in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.
![Drs Brendel and Shirendeb Person embracing](/getmedia/89a3bc84-ea6b-45c5-854f-b9894d24c0db/Protege-Person-Advocate-Brendel.jpg?width=800&height=800&ext=.jpg)
Redefining Mentorship
For protégé Dr. Ulziibat Shirendeb Person, a graduate of the psychiatry residency program at Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC), New York, the APA/APAF SAMHSA Minority Fellowship provided her the opportunity to expand her work into new environments.
![Michele Reid](/getmedia/f257c870-be16-48f4-bfba-6a295ff47735/Michele-Reid.jpg?width=592&height=592&ext=.jpg)
Mental Health Equity Champion Spotlight: Dr. Michele Reid
Each quarter we highlight an individual in the field of psychiatry who is a champion for mental health equity—whether through their work in direct care, research, advocacy, or in the community. Our champions will share tangible ways to incorporate a health equity strategy into your practice and take action to increase access to quality of care.
Connecting with Communities
APA Hispanic Caucus members—who also assisted with the development of LaSaludMental.org— Dr. Bernardo Ng and Dr. Ruby Castilla-Puentes were joined by Crisis Text Line COO César Bocanegra and APA Senior Manager Fátima Reynolds to share mental health information and resources live on the Mexican Consulate in Arizona’s Facebook.
![Community Fair participants at the APA booth](/getmedia/6c65f3c9-0e2a-43a3-9ea1-1fb463e611d4/2022-Moore-Community-Health-Fair-Participants.jpg?width=1430&height=956&ext=.jpg)
APA Celebrates Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
July featured a flurry of activity in celebration of the work of Bebe Moore Campbell, author and advocate for the mental health needs of underserved populations.
NBC4: Mental Health Community Fair at Howard University Raises Awareness, Provides Resources for Residents
News4’s Derrick Ward speaks with Dr. Regina James on why doctors in the District are working hard to address the stigma associated with mental health, and doing their part to open doors with education.
APA's Dr. Regina James Keynotes at the Shape of the Region Conference
Chief of Diversity and Health Equity, Dr. Regina James gave the keynote address at The Community Foundation of Northern Virginia's Shape of the Region Conference on "Finding our Way Back to Mental Health: Designing a more accessible, equitable system in Northern Virginia."
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2022 Mental Health Equity Ambassadors
Ambassadors are advocates for APA diversity and mental health equity programs, initiatives and policies and increase visibility both internally and externally and provide input and feedback to APA.
"Seen Not Heard:" A Health Equity Discussion on Racial Trauma and School Performance
APA and the APA Foundation (APAF) hosted a panel discussion on racial trauma and school performance.