4/22/2021 Grand Rounds

S. Kwame Dance, MA
Doctoral Candidate, Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology
Founder at The Mental Health Access

Research has shown that stigma toward mental health treatment and accessibility of services are two of the primary causes of mental health disparity in Black men. Over the past two decades, analysis of the root-causes in the literature has expanded. However, the implementation of evidence-based solutions and interventions remains minimal.  Notwithstanding, rapid change in Black males’ perceptions of mental illness and treatment are shifting rapidly largely due to organic interventions that have come from within the community. At its surface this outcome appears to be positive; however, mental health professions and professionals have done a poor job of creating an infrastructure to support the increase in demand for services by Black men. In addition to highlighting the urgency from an ecological systems framework, this presentation proses concrete action steps to address the needs of Black men.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the observable shift in Black men’s attitudes toward mental health treatment

2. Discuss provider and institutional problems that further perpetuate treatment disparity

3. Propose points of interventions and action steps