A Message from our CEO:

Greetings, Friends, and Family.

August is National Black Gay Men’s Wellness Month. At the AMAAD Institute, we unapologetically acknowledge the importance of highlighting awareness of health issues that disproportionately affect Black gay men. This month is especially meaningful to us at AMAAD as many of us identify as Black gay men.

As the peer-based entity that we are, we give reverence and respect to others working to eliminate disparity in HIV/AIDS, Substance Use Disorders (SUD), mental health, housing, social isolation, and criminal, legal, and well as justice system involvement.

I encourage you to not only familiarize yourself with the comprehensive work of the AMAAD Institute but also with the work of the other community-based organizations that are making an impactful difference in the lives of Black gay men.

Happy Black Gay Men's Wellness Month

Dr. Carl Highshaw, MSW

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Clinicians Corner

Celebrate Yourself

Recognizing your successes, accomplishments, and/or progress can help you to continue to move forward on your journey. These celebratory moments should not go unnoticed. Make sure that you take time to celebrate how far you’ve come and embrace how far you can go when you show yourself appreciation.

Be your own, cheering section: “Hoorah, hooray I celebrate myself today!”

BE KIND TO YOURSELF

Lea Collins

Behavioral Health Therapist Counselor

EHE Updates (Ending the HIV Epidemic)

This is a clip from our Live W/ HIV.E Faith and Matters of the Soul Presented by our Black MSM Cohort. Our Black MSM cohort is made of Black gay identifying men representing faith-based organizations within our community. This live features Minister Dr. Donta Morrison, Pastor Sammie Haynes, Senior Pastor of Vision Los Angeles, Pastor Kevin Francis, Senior Pastor of Powerhouse Church Los Angeles, moderated by AMAAD’s Lead EHE Project Coordinator Caleb Walker-Williams, discussing the often contentious relationship between the Black faith-based community and LGBTQIA community.

Caleb Walker -Williams

Community Engagement & Training Coordinator

Gay Black Men's Wellness Month

Darnell Green - Juwan Bonner - Donald Wilson

Welcome New Staff

Jennifer Campos

Community Health Intern

(She/Her/Hers)

Jennifer Campos is a Latina from Carson, California. She is excited to serve AMAAD as a Community Health Intern. She is graduating from Antioch University’s BRIDGE program, where she has been working on her GED. Her achievements include helping others with Social Security Income, General Relief paperwork, SNAP/EBT, and technical support for service access. She has been a coordinator of medical and transportation services. She has advocated helping others with phone calls and appointments and connecting people to resources. She is an active listener that listens to stories with empathy to pinpoint resources. She has worked in the Mental Health field for five years as a Wellness Outreach Worker with Project Return and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

Peggy Kiarie

Community Health Intern

(She/Her/Hers)

Peggy Kiarie was born in Nairobi, Kenya; however, the majority of her adult life was spent in Sweden. Her caring nature has guided her to a healthcare profession which she has practiced for the past nine years in Sweden. As she looks for ways to be of service to others, she has found an opportunity to continue giving back to the community in AMAAD as a Community Health Intern. Her demeanor embodies strength, empathy, honesty, and a solid will to help people. In addition, she exudes confidence which drives her to be the best she can be. Most importantly, she creates an environment where people can freely discuss their daily lives without fear of judgment. She attends Santa Monica College, where she studies business administration to become a successful entrepreneur who helps others within the community and corporate settings.

A New Me – Self-Care Campaign

A New Me Self-Care Campaign is a whole-person care and mental wellness approach to individual healing and recovery. It is an agency-wide philosophy and programmatic framework that forges a path to helping individuals become the person they were meant to be. The process includes a holistic integration scheme that considers a person's physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

Every person deserves to live a life free of trauma in all its forms and other negative experiences. Although traumatic experiences are unavoidable, a person can develop the skills and garner the support necessary to overcome obstacles or life challenges. The process is in part collective and individual action, collective and individual conscience, and collective and individual behavior.

As a peer support organization, AMAAD promotes four self-employment principles with a strategy that identifies a need, interest, commitment, and expectations. The framework anticipated outcomes create a shift in attitudes/beliefs, increase knowledge, and address barriers.

Support the AMAAD Institute in facilitating a journey of self-discovery, healing, and recovery.

Click Here To Donate!

Ted Booker

Business Development & Grants Manager

Christopher Webb

(He/Him/His)

Media Coordinator

Darnell Green

(He/Him/His)

Editor

Dr. Carl Highshaw

(He/Him/His)

Publisher