New Lecture Series Takes Aim at Health Care
Disparities
Monthly lectures being held at Mental Health America national office
A growing body of evidence shows startling disparities in
health care and outcomes for diverse populations—and
an urgent need to develop culturally and linguistically responsive
health services.
Mental Health America is raising awareness and promoting
a dialogue for change with its new monthly Mental
Health Disparities lecture series held at the National Office
in Alexandria, Va. The series invites all stakeholders and
the public to learn from the experts and make a difference
through research, policy reform, interventions and advocacy.
At the kick-off lecture Oct. 24, "Ensuring Fair Treatment,"
Philip Wang, M.D., Dr.P.H., director of the Division of
Services and Intervention Research at the National Institute
of Mental Health, presented the latest research
underscoring the growing treatment gap
between minorities and whites. He noted that
active interventions show promise and are
effective at a "tolerable" cost.
 At a Nov. 29 lecture, Guadalupe Pacheco,
M.S.W., the public health advisor to the
deputy assistant secretary for Minority
Health at the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, discussed
how the national standards
for Culturally and Linguistically
Appropriate Services, referred to
as CLAS standards, are a vehicle
to improve health by improving
access to services and helping
to eliminate health care
disparities.
The lectures can be
viewed at www.mentalhealthamerica.
net/lectureseries.
The next lecture
will be held at the
National Office
on Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. – noon and feature three speakers
from the federal department of Health and Human Services
who will discuss social marketing and outreach to minority
communities:
José T. M. Carneiro, Ph.D., Director, Office of Minority
Health Resource Center Jay Blackwell, Director, Capacity Building, Office of
Minority Health Resource Center Karen Frances, Senior Research Analyst at the American
Institutes for Research and onsite consultant on Cultural
and Linguistic Competency to the Child Adolescent
and Family Branch of the Center for Mental Health
Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
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works with its 320 affiliates nationwide to promote health, prevent mental
disorders and achieve victory over illnesses through advocacy, education, research
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