Save the Date: Shining Lights: Outstanding Leaders for a Brighter Future for Hispancs Awards Gala

8th Annual Awards Gala to be held on June 9, 2011, from 6pm - 10pm at The Atrium Country Club in West Orange, NJ.

Click here to download the Sponsorship Brochure

Congratulations to the Honorees:

Special Recognition Award for Leadership in the Advancement of Mental Health
Mia St. John, National Latino Mental Health Advocate, Humanitarian, Three-Time Women’s World Boxing Champion, and Author

Excellence in Federal Government Leadership Award
Ane Romero, Legislative Assistant to United States Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano, Co-Chair, Congressional Mental Health Caucus (38th District, California)

Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

Excellence in Hispanic Mental Health Research, Advocacy and Leadership Award
Margarita Alegria, Ph.D., Director, Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research, Cambridge Health Alliance; and Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Excellence in Hispanic Mental Health Advocacy and Leadership Award
Ivette Fernandez, Board Member, Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute; and Member, Comunilife’s Corporate Advisory Council

Excellence in Culturally Competent Mental Health Service Delivery
Comunilife’s Life is Precious™ Program

Rep. Grace Napolitano Announces Briefing on Mental Health in Schools Act

On February 17, 2011 Rep. Grace F. Napolitano and a panel of mental health advocates and experts, including LA Laker Ron Artest and champion boxer Mia St. John, will examine the Mental Health in Schools Act, a bill authored by Napolitano to allocate funding to mental health services in schools. One in five children and adolescents currently suffer from a mental illness, but less than one third ever receives treatment. Professional mental health treatment can prevent depression, crime, imprisonment and suicide later in life, but slashed state budgets are leaving many youth more isolated than ever. The briefing will examine the potential effect of the Mental Health in Schools Act and hear from advocates who have been personally affected by mental health programs in their own lives.

Who: Rep. Grace Napolitano, Ron Artest, Mia St. John, other mental health advocates (TBA)

What: Briefing on the Mental Health in Schools Act, a bill to increase prevention and early intervention mental health
services in public schools

When: February 17, 2011 -- Time to Be Announced

Where: Gold Room, 2168 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

For more information, please contact Ane Romero, Legislative Assistant, United States Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano at ane.romero@mail.house.gov

Additional information on The Mental Health in Schools Act can be found at http://www.napolitano.house.gov/mhsa.shtml

ALLIANCE FOR LATINO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HOSTS CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON LATINO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP

On Wednesday, June 16, 2010, the National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health (NRCHMH), and the Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development hosted a Congressional Breakfast Briefing on Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development and Leadership. The Congressional Briefing was held from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room B340. The briefing was followed by a press conference introducing the formal development of the Alliance and its membership, and recapping the briefings proceedings. If you are interested in learning more about the work of the NRCHMH or the Alliance, please contact Henry Acosta, NRCHMH Executive Director and Chair, Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health workforce Development at hacosta@nrchmh.org.

For more information on the Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development, please click here.

Please click here for the Media Advisory.

Henry Acosta, NRCHMH Executive Director, testifies at the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status - May 25, 2010, Washington, DC

Henry Acosta, the Executive Director of the National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health was invited to attend the second public hearing of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status, which focused on economic development on the island. The hearing was held at the White House on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 and was webcast live at www.whitehouse.gov. Videos of various components of the hearing can be found at the White House website. Mr. Acosta stressed the importance of addressing the mental health needs of Puerto Ricans on the island regardless of the Island's status.  His comments to the entire Task Force can be viewed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/president-s-task-force-puerto-rico-closing-session  Mr. Acosta remarks can be heard at the 1:07:55 and 1:48 time intervals respectively.
 
The comments to both the full President's Task Force and the subcommittee on Strengthening Community Services, Building Capacity and Sustainability where very well received.  Mr. Acosta testified to the importance of adequately and appropriately meeting the mental health needs of Puerto Ricans on the Island and how poorly met or unmet mental health needs will devastate any nation regardless of what status it has, including Puerto Rico, as good health and mental health are essential for an economy to exist and to thrive, as economies are comprised of individuals and families; both who are greatly affected by poorly or untreated mental illness. Mr. Acosta recommended a focus on community education around mental health issues and the benefits of treatment, the need to increase the behavioral health workforce development and leadership at all levels and in varied capacities, and the need for support of organizational and systems capacity building, stigma elimination efforts, family education and systematic changes that will improve social environmental factors and remove barriers to availability of, access to and the provision of quality mental health care service delivery.

Click here for the Press Release.

United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health Issues Report on Latino Behavioral Health Workforce - March 18, 2010

The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and the National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health are please to present a new report on Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development resulting from OMH’s Movilizandonos por Nuestro Futuro: Strategic Development of a Mental Health Workforce for Latinos Initiative.

Please click here for a copy of the report.

Please click here for NRCHMH Press Release Announcing Report.

Please click here to read the Press Release in Spanish.

Shining Lights: Oustanding Leaders for a Brighter Future for Hispanics Awards Gala: May 6, 2010, West Orange, NJ

Thank you to the sponsors and congratulations to the honorees!

Click here for a list of winners and to view photos from the event.

The Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development
The Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development is a strategic partnership of the leading national Latino behavioral health professional organizations, and other key leaders in the Latino health and behavioral health professions, and workforce development.

Click here for a snapshot of the Alliance's mission

Click here to see the Alliance's members

Click here to view the Alliance's presentation, conducted at the NCLR Annual Conference

Please click here for more information on the scholarship program.

Click here to download the 2011 Hispanic Higher Education Scholarship Fund Application.