Huston-Tillotson Announces a Mental Health Proposal for the African American Community (5685 hits)
During this press conference HT President Larry L. Earvin, Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole, Council Member Mike Martinez, and others will present the community’s support and address the need for expanded mental health services in Central Texas. Huston-Tillotson University has identified that there are no African American mental health physicians in Central Texas. The nation’s leading mental health physician, Dr. William Lawson, will be in attendance to address the issue and introduce proposed community services.
Identifying a critical need, Huston-Tillotson University officials have implemented the 21st Century Solutions-Based Listening Tour with a team of medical professionals prepared to address the disparities in mental health care services for the Central Texas African American population. According to the 2012 Community Health Assessment for Austin/Travis County, mental health and the need for services were the foremost community health issues listed. Today’s focus on the Affordable Health Care Act, which now offers services and coverage for individuals living with mental illnesses who previously did not have access or were denied mental health coverage also raises the immediate need for African American mental health physicians who are non-existent in Central Texas.
21st Century Solutions-Based Listening Tour "Addressing East Austin's Mental Health Crisis"
Thursday, November 7, 2013 9 a.m. Huston-Tillotson University Campus Union Plaza and Walkway 900 Chicon Street
It's important to have culturally competent mental health practitioners familiar with African American social challenges to better meet the needs of the whole person.
