NEWS
NBCSL hosts Mental Health Conference
IN THIS PHOTO: Rep. Smyre with TV's Judge
Greg Mathis, who spoke at the conference.
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) hosted its 16th anual Mental Health Conference on Oct. 2 in Indianapolis, Ind., engaging state legislators, health care professionals, community leaders and the public on solutions to improve the mental health of African Americans by reducing socioeconomic barriers, cultural stigmas and the incidence of misdiagnoses.
Rep. Calvin Smyre, NBCSL President, said:
"Mental illnesses are complex and difficult to diagnose and treat. Cultural barriers such as stigmas associated with mental illness within the African American community make it even more challenging to treat and manage. We'll continue to fail our communities and our returning veterans unless we find solutions. As our soldiers continue to return from Iraq and Afghanistan, we must address impediments to effective mental health treatment. This symposium seeks to find solutions for these issues."
Smyre said African Americans are disproportionately impacted by lack of insurance, reducing access to mental health care.