On behalf of the American Psychiatric Association, we wish you a great start to 2023. In our first quarterly newsletter of the year, we highlight the important work of our members, including early career fellows and long-standing advocates for mental health equity. We also share new in-person and virtual educational offerings on various topics including climate-change, maternal mental health, as well as the premier of our podcast series Looking Beyond: Unplugged. In the inaugural episode, I quote Mr. Nelson Mandela: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.” We hope this update serves to inform you, our members, of APA’s collective work to #AchieveMentalHealhEquity.
Regina James, M.D.,
Chief, Division of Diversity & Health Equity,
Deputy Medical Director,
American Psychiatric Association
Mental Health Equity Champion Spotlight: Dr. Bernardo Ng
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 Mental Health Equity Champion this quarter is Dr. Bernardo Ng!
Mental Health Equity on a Global Scale: An Interview with Dr. Pamela Collins
There are more universals in the global fight to achieve mental health equity than there are differences, according to Dr. Pamela Collins, the Director of the Consortium for Global Mental Health at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Chief Chats: A Conversation with Dr. Vishal Madaan
Dr. Vishal Madaan is the Chief of Education & Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association (APA). In this role, Dr. Madaan leads content development and innovation for APA educational programs, including those offered through its Annual Meeting, online APA Learning Center, educational grants, and accreditation efforts.
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.
Diversity and Health Equity Sessions at APA’s 2023 Annual Meeting
Join APA in San Francisco or virtually for the 2023 Annual Meeting, May 20-24. This year's scientific program will feature a Diversity and Health Equity session track that focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB)-related topics and presents the question: how can we use innovation and collaboration to create a future with mental health equity in mind?
Save the Dates for the 2023 Bebe Moore Campbell Minority Mental Health Month
Every summer, we invite you to join APA in the work of promoting mental health equity and become part of the change! July marks APA’s annual celebration of minority mental health advocate Bebe Moore Campbell.
Learn more at psychiatry.org/MooreEquity and save the following dates on your calendar:
- Community Mental Health Fair on Saturday, July 8, 2023
- Youth Summit on Wednesday, July 12, 2023
- Sneaker Soirée on Friday, July 21, 2023
- 5K: Run, Walk, and Roll on Saturday, July 29, 2023
Collaborative Care Model Training for Future Psychiatrists
The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) has been systematically evaluated and shown to be more effective than usual care for improving mental health treatment outcomes, quality of care, and even initiation of treatment. APA is looking to train future psychiatrists and primary care physicians in this model and will be hosting a conference in Washington, D.C., April 24-25, 2023.
Join APA’s New Caucus on the Social Determinants of Mental Health
The Caucus on the SDoMH serves as a forum for APA members to discuss, develop, and promote ideas related to the social and political determinants of health; the environmental conditions where people are born, live, learn, work, play, and worship, and age; and the policies that underlie them.
APA Launches a New Podcast, Looking Beyond: Unplugged
The Looking Beyond: Unplugged podcast series continues the work of the Looking Beyond webinar series, expanding on each webinar topic with subject-matter experts in an informal and in-depth way. For the upcoming season Looking Beyond: Unplugged will explore topics around climate-change, clinician bias, the collaborative care model, and LGBTQ+ mental health.
Featured Resource: APA Primer of Online Resources on Structural Racism for Medical Students and Trainees in Psychiatry (.pdf)
This guide for medical students and trainees provides a primer on resources available on the topic of structural racism. The Primer lists toolkits, core concepts and an array of studies around racial and ethnic disparities, and racism as a structural determinant of mental health.
Culture Corner: Book and Film Recommendations from APA Member Francis G. Lu, M.D.
Dr. Lu provides tailored recommendations that tie into the theme of the social determinants of mental health. These recommendations establish the importance for mental health professionals in understanding, diagnosing and including social determinants of mental health in treatment planning, as well as mobilizing social action to advocate for policy changes.