HONORING OUR PAST AND LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
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Black History Month in February is a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions black Americans have made and continue to make today. One of the Department of Mental Health’s early leaders was
Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller
, the first African American psychiatrist. Dr. Fuller was a pioneer in psychiatry and neurology. His research advanced knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and the causes of schizophrenia and manic-depressive psychosis. During his career, Dr. Fuller worked for several decades at Westborough State Hospital and was a professor in the Boston University School of Medicine. He contributed to the field of mental health also by training and mentoring the next generational of African American psychiatrists.
To honor Dr. Fuller, the American Psychiatric Association in 1969 established the Dr. Fuller Award which recognizes black citizens who have significantly improved the quality of life of black people. In 1974, Boston University opened the doors to a facility located at 85 E. Newton Street in Boston and named it
the Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center
. The Black Psychiatrists of America established the Dr. Fuller Program to support black aspiring psychiatrists as they complete residency. A middle school in Framingham, Massachusetts was named after Dr. Fuller and his wife Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, a prominent African American sculptor and forerunner of the Harlem Renaissance, because their lives and work serve as models for students.
As we reflect on the achievements of Dr. Fuller, we should not turn away from acknowledging the challenges he overcame as a black man in America. During the early 20
th
century, Dr. Fuller’s neighbors petitioned to have his family removed from the neighborhood. Dr. Fuller faced discrimination in the medical field in the form of unequal salaries, underemployment, and lack of promotional opportunities. Boston psychiatrist Charles Pinderhughes said, “This remarkable man on his own initiative achieved excellence in psychiatry and neurology as a clinician, scientist, educator, and scholar at a time when opportunities and recognition were not available to him because of his color.”
We’ve made strides as a society to further race equity, but there is still much work to be done. The American Psychological Association reported in 2014 that less than 2% of psychiatrists, 5% of psychologists, and 4% of social workers in the United States are African American. Within the Department of Mental Health, only 13 of the 166 officials and administrators are African American.
The Department of Mental Health’s Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI) priority
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aunched last year with a focus on hiring practices to address the lack of diversity amongst the Department’s clinical, professional, and managerial positions. Implementation of the REI priority will include assessing DMH’s practices of workforce recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion. Since May 2017, Central Office hiring managers have been asked to contact Joy Connell, DMH Diversity Officer, for her to review candidates for Central Office positions to ensure that there is diversity in the pool of interviewees. Other steps to implement the REI priority include analyzing data to understand the challenges DMH faces in recruiting and hiring people of color for clinical, professional, and managerial positions. We carry on Dr. Fuller’s legacy by supporting equity in hiring so that black Americans and other people of color have the opportunity to serve in leadership roles.
If you are interested in learning more about DMH’s REI priority, data collected, or how you can support this priority, please contact
Dianelys Nunez at
DMH.REI@massmail.state.ma.us
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Resources
(African American psychiatrist, recipient of the Dr. Fuller Award, and researcher who made significant contributions in focusing the medical community's attention on the stresses of poverty, sexism, racism, and discrimination that effect women, minorities, gays, and lesbians). Changing the Face of Medicine, National Institutes of Health,
Emancipation, sculpture
created in 1913 by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller and on display in Harriet Tubman Park in Boston. Boston Women’s Heritage Trail
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DMH PARTNERS WITH THE BRIDGE FOR STATEWIDE TRAININGS
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DMH is pleased to announce our partnership with the
The Bridge of Central MA
in a contract funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (
SAMHSA
) and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (
NASMHPD
) – to expand the practice of Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) across the state.
The Department and The Bridge are develop
ing statewide capacity for CT-R trainers and expand the delivery of this evidence-based practice within the community-based mental health system. Six teams have been sele
cted statewide to participate in this project, and 50 employees have received the training.
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SUBMIT YOUR SOLUTIONS FOR THE 2018
CBH INNOVATION AWARD
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Has your organization, or one that you know of, developed a new way of responding to one of these "wicked" problems facing children's behavioral health?
- Delivering behavioral health care services to children in school settings
- Accessing children's behavioral health care services
- Recruiting and retaining children's behavioral health care staff members
Three finalists will be selected to present their innovation at this year's
Children's Behavioral Health Knowledge Center Symposium and Gailanne Reeh Lecture
on June 1, at the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. Symposium attendees will cast their vote for the best of the three and select this year's Award winner! The winner will receive a grant of $10,000 to help take their innovation to the next level.
Applications are due by March 14 at 5 p.m.
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DMH 2017 YEAR IN REVIEW VIDEO
We invite you to take five minutes to share our memories by watching the
DMH Year In Review 2017 video.
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DMH STAFF CONTINUED THEIR SPIRIT OF HOLIDAY GIVING
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DMH staff in all areas showed their giving spirit during the holiday season. Meals were served to individuals receiving DMH services, warm accessories were distributed to homeless individuals, toys were donated to children in need, among many other charitable and fun activities.
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AVIS SOMERVILLE PRODUCES CABARET SHOW TO BENEFIT WINCHESTER HOSPITAL
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Avis Somerville is best known for her cheerful and helpful personality and hard working ethic providing assistance in Commissioner Mikula's office. Outside of work, Avis is also a gifted singer and tap dancer. Since 1989 she has been tap dancing and performing in recitals and shows with
The Dance Inn in Lexington. She sings with
Voices of Hope and performs in their annual gala show held each October at the North Shore Music Theater to benefit the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.
Since 1993 she has been performing in the Winton Club Cabaret.
The Winton Club provides various volunteer opportunities and programs for the benefit of Winchester Hospital .She joined the club in 2001, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the cabaret. This year Avis had the opportunity and huge responsibility of being the cabaret producer. Avis showcased her talents, tireless energy, and love of music to create a phenomenal show which she titled the "A Message in the Music." The show was enjoyed by an audience in excess of 2000 people during its 5 night run. DMH staff who attended the Cabaret were dazzled by her talents and amazed at how she makes her work-life balance look so effortless. Congratulations Avis!
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Looking for new learning and development opportunities? Use the DMH Learning and Development Calendar to search for a variety of opportunities in your area or statewide. The learning calendar is updated on an ongoing basis with personal and professional development opportunities as well as continuing education events. Easily filter your search by clicking on any of the color-coded categories that are displayed on the calendar.
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The DMH Events Calendar is the one stop location for upcoming mental health related events planned around the state.
FEATURED UPCOMING EVENTS
Click the link above to Register
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How many of the 166 officials and administrators within DMH are African American?
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Tell us what you think about DMH Connections or this issue by sending feedback.
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FOR NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS CONTACT:
Michelle Cormier - Communications Coordinator
To view past issues of DMH Connections visit our
Archive page
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STAY CONNECTED WITH DMH ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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