About the Symposium
In May of 2008, the US House of Representatives announce July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Bebe More Campbell was someone who saw injustice and turned it into action. She fought for equitable mental health care, especially for Black and African American communities. Local parent advocates and stakeholders are hosting a series of Symposiums in July to recognize Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. These in-person events will be held in Rochester July 13th, Buffalo July 14th , Syracuse July 21st and Binghamton July 26.These community professional development educational sessions will address Mental Health in Communities of Color. The goal is to engage in dialogue to highlight the diversity of needs for both children and families across systems and collectively work together to identify strategies to improve care and prioritize next steps for our communities. The aftermath of Covid-19, natural disasters, social determinants of health, heightened levels grief, loss and violence; and the persuasive and persistent systemic racism, have been devastating for our communities. Now is the time to take bold and intentional action. These unexpected and tragic experiences also present unprecedented opportunities to do things differently, with freshly culturally informed and equitable lens at all levels. This year’s theme “We Are Each Other’s Medicine” will feature Mental Health experts, Faith Leaders, Parents, Youth, Faculty experts, Health and Behavioral Health Providers, Researchers, Community leaders and Stakeholders. They will address several topics of interest including stigma, cultural perspective, provider bias, violence, suicide, the criminalization of mental health in communities of color, disaster related trauma and increasing the pool of black mental health professionals.
Our Goals and Community Learning Objectives Include:
- Provide a cross system community educational opportunity to offer long-term strategies for addressing trauma, mental health and substance use in communities of color and highlight the diversity of needs related to “healing”
- Advance opportunities to address the intersection of Social Determinants of Health and Behavioral Health Care through the lens of Equity
- To elevate community voices across systems with intentional and targeted goals of promoting neighborhood outreach models that include natural healers
- Offer educational learning opportunities to address distrust and stigmas and how to leverage youth, family and adult peer advocacy initiatives when implementing services and programs
- To present emerging research, practice based and best practices models of culturally responsive care across systems
- To provide a forum to build collaborative partnerships that elevate the voices of patients, parents, caregivers, faith leaders and grassroots neighborhood centers to inform and improve policies and practices through system change and collective impact activities.
C.E.U.S
To be announced
Agenda
8:30am- Registration, exhibits and continental breakfast.9:00am-9:30am Welcome and Sponsor Remarks 9:30am -10:15am Keynote **** stretch break***** 10:25am-11:40am- Four to Five Expert Panel experts Mental Health Inequities and Disparities- Success, Challenges and Opportunities (System and Practice Level) 11:50am Closing and evaluation
Event Flyers
Ticket Information
Syracuse, NY
Buffalo, NY
Binghamton, NY
Event Contact
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Sara Taylor at taylorjonesevents@gmail.com