Child & Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) |
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CAMHI Successfully Launched
Virtual Institute in Behavioral Health
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During the week of April 19th, the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) at William James College hosted its first virtual Institute in Behavioral Health. Funded by Boston Children's Collaboration for Community Health, CAMHI is a workforce development program designed to recruit, train, and retain culturally diverse behavioral health providers who are committed to serving historically marginalized communities and promoting the health and well-being of children, adolescents, and families in the Greater Boston area.
Twenty-six participants completed the training. About half (46%) identified as Black/African American, 43% as Latinx/Hispanic, 27% as White/European, 8% as Native American, and 4% as Asian. Their countries of origin included Cape Verde, Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Liberia, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, and Uganda.
Topics covered during the week-long training focused on the impacts of mental illness on children and adolescents, Psychological First Aid, substance use and suicide prevention among teens, and careers in mental health.
Graduates of the program received a certificate along with a $400 stipend. The virtual Institute in Behavioral Health will be offered again in the winter/spring of 2022. To learn more, please email CAMHI@williamjames.edu.
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Virtual Mental Health Literacy Summits for Young Men of Color |
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In partnership with TheBlackManCan, CAMHI co-hosted two Summits on February 4th and February 25th for students enrolled at Brockton High School and Edward Brooke Charter School. Created by TheBlackManCan Institute, Building a Better Brother Summit is a one-day conference that aims to uplift, empower, educate, and motivate young boys and men of color.
For several years, TheBlackManCan Institute has organized one-day conferences to bring together young men from across the country to celebrate and promote positive self-identity development, pursue excellence with impeccable effort, and foster brotherhood. This year's Summits were intended to engage students in meaningful dialogues about the stigma of mental illness in underserved communities and its deleterious impacts on the mental health of boys and men of color.
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Celebrating National Mental Health Awareness Month |
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In recognition of National Mental Health Month, and Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, CAMHI hosted two events during the month of May:
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The Annual Children's Mental Health Matters Conference was held on Friday, May 7th. The virtual event, Trauma-Informed & Culturally-Responsive Behavioral Health Interventions for Children, Adolescents, and Families in Underserved Communities, drew more than 250 attendees. To access all conference-related materials, click here.
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On Tuesday, May 25th, Dr. Malena Banks and Dr. Maryam Jernigan-Noesi, authors of the new children's book "I Miss My Friend," led an engaging conversation with parents and other caregivers on the impacts of COVID-19 on children's mental health.
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What Do We Do in September? Revitalizing Our School Communities |
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Next school year will certainly be informed by the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. When we reconvene our communities this September, what do we need to do to ensure that social, emotional, and behavioral health needs are not only met, but that our communities can thrive?
Join us for a half-day conference designed to explore the consequences of COVID-19 on learning communities and offer a look at trauma-informed approaches to healing, with resources and strategies to aid us as we move into the next school year.
Date: Thursday, June 3, 2021
Time: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
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William James College
1 Wells Avenue
Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777
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