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African American Pioneers in Mental Health
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Solomon Carter Fuller, M.D. (1872–1953)
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Mamie Phipps Clark, Ph.D. (1917 -1983)
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James P. Comer, M.D., M.P.H
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Paul Bertau Cornely, M.D., DrPH (1906 -2002)
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Freda C. Lewis-Hall, M.D., DFAPA
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Executive Summary
Over the last several years, data has emerged indicating an alarming increase in the suicide rates for Black children and teenagers over the past generation.
While research has also shown climbing rates for youth from other racial and ethnic groups, this trend in Black youth runs counter to historical data showing lower rates of suicide among Black Americans.
It challenges the public perception that Black youth simply do not commit suicide.
Additional research about suicidal behaviors has raised questions about whether the path from suicidal thoughts to attempts is well understood in Black youth, and whether we have the knowledge and tools to intervene before the worst happens.
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Meet Michelle Botus!
The Director of Cross-Agency Initiatives in the Child, Youth and Family Division at Department of Mental Health (DMH).
Michelle
has a BA in Sociology from Tufts University, an MS in Management from Northeastern University.
Prior to this, she served as Area Director of Training for the DMH Metro Boston and Southeast Areas, where she launched a New Employee Orientation Program and rolled out The Ripple Effect Training for the Metro Boston Area.
In 2012, prior to serving at DMH, Botus helped to launch a training initiative for provider agencies contracted by the MA Department of Housing and Community Development’s Emergency Shelter system. This initiative developed a curriculum tailored to meet the needs of serving younger families, the 18-25-year-olds raising the 0-5-year-old children and focused on Positive Youth Development and Trauma-Informed Care.
Ms. Botus is a Certified as a Diversity Trainer by the Office of Human Resources Division for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ms. Botus has served as a Judge at Generation Citizens High School Policy Fair at the Massachusetts Statehouse as well at Harvard Business School’s Healthcare Competition where teams of Multi-Disciplinary students pitched business solutions to address many healthcare issues, like diabetes and obesity.
Ms. Botus is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change at Antioch University. She lives in Hyde Park with her children where she enjoys gardening and interior decorating.
"I support youth and young adults because I feel a duty to give back. As a parent and a person with lived experience, I want young people to know that It’s OK not to feel okay sometimes.I want them to know that many of us have survived childhood trauma largely because we asked for and received support from strangers and loved ones. I am that stranger that is here to offer help and support."-
Michelle Botus
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Please Mark Your Calendars !
Success-Fest-5
Friday March 20, 2020,
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Workshop Presentation
Application
DMH Central MA Area
Fifth Annual Success-Fest!
Theme: Transformation
Applications are due Friday, February 14, 2020
The committee is currently accepting workshop proposals.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal and/or learning more about
Success-Fest and its history,
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ISPARC
2019 ANNUAL REPORT
Hello 2020 and all of the good stuff it may bring for all of us! In our January Issue of our iSPARC newletter, we highlight some of the most important research we've done and products we've released this past year. You'll also find a link to our
2019 Annual Report
which provides more details. We'd love your feedback on what we've done. You can reply to this email if you have comments or ideas you'd like to share. Happy New Year!
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Meet Whitney Marshall, MHA!
Child, Youth and Family Division
Supervisor
in
N. Grafton
at
Department of Mental Health (DMH).
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I was 17 years old when I started working with youth. Unaware, totally ignorant and wide eyed, my passion was not yet fully developed or understood but there was a yearning, a longing to understand what my peers had been through, had endured and overcome.
Starting as a group facilitator for Wayside Youth and Family Support Network in Framingham I was introduced to a narrative that had not been my experience, a painful awakening to the reality of youth who had been through some of the most unbelievable challenges yet here they sit still hoping, still fighting to survive in a world that is harsh and unforgiving.
I fell head over heels for the work Wayside was doing to support and uplift these teens, these kids just like me who had been dealt a different hand but had made a commitment to win the game!!!!
From that summer on I have been committed to working with youth, young adults and parents around how to find happiness in the most turbulent of times, reassuring them that when they are too tired to hope, we at DMH lift them up and carry the hope for them until they are strong enough to see it, feel it and live it for themselves.
'"It is not always easy and the road is not clear but I have seen remarkable success and unbelievable resilience in my 20+ years of working in the field. It has come with laughter, incomparable joy, deep pride, heartache, tears and frustration but in the end it is where I find my peace and it is in my blood."
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Whitney Marshall
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Dear Families and Community,
February 29th: 2020 Winter + Parent2Parent Conference
8:00am-3:30pm @ BTU, 180 Mt. Vernon Ave, Dorchester
BPS Families and BTU members are invited to this conference featuring a variety of workshops. Schools are encouraged to attend as teams. Breakfast and registration will begin at 8 AM. Lunch will be served, and childcare will be provided to registered attendees.
There will be a Resource Fair from 12:00 - 2:00 PM with information about childcare, summercamp, employment, housing, healthcare, books and more. See more information and
register here
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Meet Daniela Harrigan! (She, Her, Hers)
Formerly Daniela Trammell
Director of Community Engagement | DMH
A Massachusetts native, Daniela Harrigan is an accomplished professional with over 20 years’ experience leading in government, non-profit, and academic fields. Currently, she is the director of the newly created Office of Community Engagement at the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH). Her passion for community exchanges and bridging people, especially those from underserved and under-represented populations, to resources will assist her in launching this new office. She previously functioned as communications director for DMH and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC).
While working for the state, she served as an DMH LGBTQI+ facilitator and Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI) committee member. In 2011, she received the MRC Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Performance and the MA Governor’s Citation for Outstanding Performance in 2013 for her role in organizing and managing the MRC Marketing Strategy Team. Prior to her tenure with the Commonwealth, Daniela worked at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT where she focused on minority student recruitment and retention. She also worked as the assistant director of volunteer services at Rosie’s Place, a shelter for women experiencing homelessness in Boston.
Daniela received a human services leadership and management certificate from Suffolk University in 2018 and a professional communications certificate from Emerson College in 2013. She obtained her Masters of Criminal Justice with honors from Suffolk University in 2005, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and Criminal Justice certificate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Daniela is a proud Cape Verdean and African-American woman; a dedicated wife, mother and daughter; and a novice genealogist. She balances out her professional time by spending time with her recently blended family – legally through marriage and culturally (adding Puerto Rican and Dominican heritages into the mix). And whether its devoting time diving deep into culture, cooking for family and friends, being outdoors, traveling, or through discipleship she is always on the move -- but one may keep up with her at social media.
“Being heard is an important practice. For many young adults finding their voice or lifting it can be challenging. The years in between childhood and adulthood can be tough and finding the right fit for services or activities can be even tougher. As a woman of color and parent of four teens, I feel understood and respected when someone sees me and affirms my experiences. I support youth, young adults, and their families as I believe they should also be ‘active’ partners in their wellness planning.”-Daniela Harrigan
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The 84
is a statewide movement of youth fighting tobacco in Massachusetts. The 84 represents the 84% of Massachusetts youth who did NOT smoke when the movement began. Now, 93.4% of youth do NOT smoke.
Youth groups in a high school or community organization who want to fight against the tobacco and vaping industries sign up to become an
84 Chapter and be a part of the movement.
What do The 84 Chapters do?
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- Educate their peers and adults about the tobacco and vaping industries’ marketing tactics
- Help to create change locally and statewide s to reduce the influence of tobacco in their communities
- Survey youth and adults about their perception of the prices and availability of other tobacco products
- Promote social norms messaging around youth tobacco use
The 84 is a program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program, developed and managed in partnership with Health Resources in Action.
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Meet Ashley Watkins LICSW!
Central MA Integrated Practice Specialist-Caring Together
Child, Youth and Family Division
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Ashley Ann Watkins has been an employee for the Department of Mental Health for the past five years but has spent over ten years working with youth and families. Her DMH tenure began as a crisis clinician for an Emergency Services Program (ESP) in the Southeast Area. During the almost two years there, she completed two of the MasSP program with EOHHS’s Center for Staff Development in the Aspiring Supervisor and Program Director Tracks.
After Emergency Services, she transitioned to the Central Mass Area, Child and Adolescent Services team as the Canton Site case management supervisor for about two years. It was her dedication to youth, families and her ability to collaborate with community providers that led to the October 2019 promotion and her current role as the Central Mass Integrated Practice Specialist with Caring Together.
She has a passion for diverse groups and equality for all that she practices in an inclusive approach with youth, families and providers. Ashley uses her voice and creativity as an active leading member in the Diversity Committee that has hosted annual community conversations with youth and families from an array of minority groups within the Central Mass Area.
From Ashley’s personal and professional experiences;
she finds pride in being a strong advocate in mental wellness for youth/ young adults and their families because of the foundational principles, which our communities and society stands on. She also believes that it takes a village to raise our youth and the roles of caregivers’ are instrumental in creating and affirming a world of healthy attachments and creative development.
"Good mental wellness allows young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults that continues in that cycle. Working with youth and families today gives you a feeling of empowerment and hope that you play a role in shaping the future."-
Ashley Ann Watkins
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Understanding Trauma Pamphlet
This pamphlet was written with the help of the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Social Work, the Parent/Professional Advocacy League, the Child Trauma Training Center at UMass Medical School, and two parent focus groups.
Providers are encouraged to use the pamphlet with their clients and in their offices. Currently available only in English, the Spanish version is currently under development. If you would like to provide feedback, please see the contact information below.
Katherine Hughes, JD, MSW, LICSW
Parent Child Trauma Resources Lead
Pronouns: She/her/hers
P. O. Box 94, Sharon, MA 02067
Iphone 617-835-8843
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Friday, April 03, 2020, 2020, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Gender Identity - Part 2:
A Clinicians Guide to Assessment & Treatment with
Transgender and Non-Binary Youth
With Sidney Trantham, Ph.D.
Location
The Courtyard Marriott
75 Felton Street
Marlborough, MA
Registration fee:$189 per training (includes CEUs)
Register for any combination of 3 trainings are receive $50 off the total cost.
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You are invited to the
Youth Substance Use 101 (399)
Presented by: Jordana Willers
Date: February 26th, 2020
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Registration: 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Training: 9:00 AM - 12:00 pm
Location: The Verve Hotel
1360 Worcester St., Natick, Massachusetts, 01760
(508) 653-880
This training is aimed towards anyone working with youth and young adults; prior knowledge is not required.
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You are invited to the Suicide Prevention - (#574) Postvention: Responding to Schools and Communities Following Adolescent Suicide scheduled on
Friday, March 20, 2020
. Below are the details pertaining to this event.
Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Registration: 8:30 am - 9:00 AM
Training: 9:00 AM - 4:00 pm
Location: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center
50 Warren Street, Lowell, Massachusetts, 01852
Registration fee: $35.00
Registration Deadline: March 16, 2020 (or when workshop reaches capacity)
Continuing Education Credits: 5.5
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PPAL's
PTAY Group Presentation Flyers For February and March
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What Is Peer Support and What Is Not Peer Support?
There are often misconceptions about the role of a youth peer support specialist. In fact, youth peer support specialists may often find themselves defining their role by what it is not rather than by what it is. This featured product provides concrete guidance around what exactly a youth peer support specialist does and does not do, and may be useful for peers, their supervisors, their colleagues, their employing organizations, and anyone looking to learn more about this emerging workforce.
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Good news!!
STEPS is now live on instagram! Be sure to check us out and follow us!
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Disclaimer:
This is from the DMH TAY Initiative, and not DMH Communications. DMH Communications was gracious to share their account with us.
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