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Racism in medicine unfortunately remains a reality for many families of color and of lower income statuses across the nation and especially here in the District of Columbia, where systemic oversights in providing proper health care for African American families have contributed to the alarming levels of COVID-19, OPIOID, & Gun Violent deaths. In Wards 7 & 8 there is a predominance of over 94% of the population who is African American. Additionally, over 50% of these families manage households and families with less than $15,000 of annual income. The Healthy D.C. & Me Leadership Coalition is a group of seven (7) community organizations, clergy, & business owners with a vested interest in restoring the proper standards of healthcare for our marginalized citizens who reside “East” of the Anacostia river in Wards 7 & 8 of the Nation’s capital.
The District’s Dr. Edwin C. Chapman, coalition advisor, says, “the D.C. government’s self-admitted, decades long inability to provide sound public health policy and services to its most needy and vulnerable constituents has to end. There is study after study that points to the need for TRUST in communities of color and the role that “cultural” competency plays in positive healthcare outcomes, yet the D.C. government repeatedly rejects the science and consistently contracts with Trump-like corporate outsiders expecting a different result. DC’s health inequities are further compounded by the “social determinants of health”, the District government’s unabated gentrification push, Black intra-classism, and the “brain draining” exodus of Black physicians which now rivals both (1) the Black Covid-19 and opioid death rates (80%) and (2) the rate of displacement of disenfranchised Black residents out of the city. All the above has exacerbated base-line anxiety and depression (PTSD or PTSS) and is directly related to increased self-medication with drugs/alcohol as well as reactive domestic and community violence”.
“Our coalition’s humble request and proactive approach at soliciting your donation commitments and partnership requests, to stand with us and the citizens of Washington D.C. is very genuine. There are too many citizens in the Nation’s Capital who are in dire need of higher standards of comprehensive healthcare resourcing and solid stakeholders who are committed to realizing a true progression of resources, services and a preservation of life, for not only today’s low-income, vulnerable citizens here in the District of Columbia but also for future generations to come.”
Rhonda L. Hamilton, Healthy D.C. & Me Leadership Coalition, President
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- Facebook Live: Brain Stimulation Therapies
NIMH expert Sarah H. Lisanby, M.D. will describe common types of brain stimulation therapies, and why they are used, dispel misconceptions, and highlight NIMH-supported research in this area.
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- Unmasking as a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Person
Unmasking as a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Person MHA Admin Fri, 04/12/2024 - 16:15 April 15, 2024 by Kristen Abell, MHA Director of Website and Digital Projects As someone who wasn’t diagnosed with autism until her mid-40s, I often struggle with what it means for me to unmask. What if people don’t like who I am without masking? How even am I masking? These are just a few of the questions that someone who is a late-diagnosed autistic person must battle with when determining whether or not to unmask. What is masking? Masking is when an autistic person alters or camouflages their behavior to better fit in with allistic (non-autistic) behavior expectations. Many autistic people do this because it allows them to feel safer in a world where there is still significant stigma surrounding autism and autistic behaviors. Masking is also one of the primary reasons that many girls - who often mask at higher rates than boys - go undiagnosed for so long, if they are ever diagnosed at all. Masking is when an autistic person alters or camouflages their behavior to better fit in with allistic behavior expectations. Masking looks different for every autistic person, depending on what particular autistic traits they have. Some masking behaviors can include, but are not limited to: Avoiding stimming or the need to […]
