This session is designed to address the complex set of challenges to maintaining mental wellness in the Black community. The presenters will discuss the cultural and environmental stigma associated with mental health, societal factors that could exacerbate the trauma in the Black community, systemic problems within the health care system, and strategies to develop an integrated community response framework.

• Dr. Marie Brown-Mercadel – Mercadel Consulting Solutions Chief Executive Officer

• Isaac Ford, MSW – Isaac Ford Jr. & Associates LLC Founder