IDEAS Seminar Series

The Mental Health Equity Program in collaboration with the UNC School of Social Work (April Parker, MSW, LCSW) developed the Interdisciplinary Dialogues for Promoting Equitable Access in Mental Health Seminar Series (IDEAS).

Mental health professionals consist of people with diverse lived experiences, educational pathways, and occupations; all of which co-exist and unite to inform policies impacting healthcare access, develop and implement treatment approaches, guide infrastructure, center the voices from the community, and ultimately contributes to healthcare outcomes. Despite the potential to grow and learn together, interdisciplinary conversation seems often stifled by geographical distance, professional and educational silos, time limitations, and shared opportunity to meaningfully engage.

The goal of the IDEAS Series is to bring all these varying perspectives to the table to discuss the issues impacting mental health equity for all our communities, remove the barriers to dialogue, and move forward together in our common purpose of improving lives.

This series was composed of four monthly sessions (April- July 2023) to discuss topics pertaining to the history of segregation and discrimination of state psychiatric hospitals in NC, the impact of racial trauma within the Black community, and breaking down barriers to healthcare access and engagement for Hispanic/Latino and Indigenous communities of NC.

Session participants included all clinical disciplines that provide primary mental healthcare services. Approximately a combined 116 attendees joined discussions that were led by faculty and leaders from various departments and organizations around the state, including NC Central University, UNC Department of Psychiatry, UNC School of Social Work, the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority’s Analenisgi (a behavioral health and substance program), and community clinics/organizations.

We are currently developing new sessions for Fall of 2024 and early 2025.