We Are More Than You Think Part II: Removing the Stigma of Mental Illness and Promoting Mental Wellness in the African American Community

This segment of “We Are More Than You Think” is designed to empower consumers and family members to talk about mental health and address issues surrounding the stigma of mental illness. A panel of African American mental health professionals and consumers will discuss ways to raise awareness about mental health and tools to eradicate stigma. Individuals living with mental illness will also share their life experiences and how they advocate for themselves.Cultural stigma surrounding mental illness is a powerful barrier to receiving treatment. Racial and ethnic backgrounds often determine whether or not individuals will seek help, what types of help they seek, what coping styles and social supports they have, and how much stigma they attach to mental illness. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, cultural biases against mental health professionals and health care professionals in general, prevent many African Americans from accessing care due to prior experiences with historical misdiagnoses, inadequate treatment, and lack of cultural understanding.

Justin Idleburg is a mental health consumer and advocate for individuals with mental illness. Justin is a consultant for developing ways to help consumers advocate for themselves and ways to improve their services. He has worked with the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) Office of Transformation Consumer Conference Planning Committee and the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD) Advisory Board. Justin developed the concept of “We Are More Than You Think”, a forum to engage mental health consumers, concerned friends and family members, and mental health professionals in a dialog about ending the stigma of mental illness in the African American community.

We offer for a $10 fee the following accreditation which is available during the Web Conference, via a link below the video window: The University of Missouri-St Louis, Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH) will be responsible for this program and maintain a record of your continuing education credits earned. The Missouri Institute of Mental Health will award 1 clock hour or 1.2 contact hours (.1 CEU) for this activity.MIMH credit will fulfill Clinical Social Work and Psychologist licensure requirements in the State of Missouri. Attendees with licensure from other states are responsible for seeking appropriate continuing education credit, from their respective boards for completing this program.