Congresswoman Johnson Addresses 300+ Participants at the 2014 Behavioral Health and Wellness Forum

[Washington, DC]—On Thursday, September 25th, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson served as the Honorary Host of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 2014 Annual Legislative Conference titled “From Trauma to Wellness: Building the Movement for Emotional Healing, Mental Health, and Well-Being in the Black Community.”

Nearly 300 guests attended the forum. The two-part panel centered on discussions of the origins and residual impact of mental health disparities within African American communities.

Panel participants included: Dr. James Jackson, Director of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; Dr. Jaqueline Mattis, Professor, Department of Psychology, Interim Director, Center for the Study of Black Youth in Context at the University of Michigan; Dr. Lonnie Snowden, Professor of the Graduate School, Health Policy and Management Program, School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley; Cheryl Mayo Williams, Senior Director of Population Health at Children’s Medical Center; Dr. Taasogle Daryl Rowe, President of the Association of Black Psychologists; Dr. Cheryl Tawede Grills, Immediate Past President of  the Association of Black Psychologists; and Enola Aird, Founder and President at the Community Healing Network, Inc.

“Mental illness is an issue that severely plagues every community. However, rather than finding solutions for those affected, many mentally ill persons wind up incarcerated or homeless, where they receive no treatment. Mental illness is not something that is simply alleviated with time” said Congresswoman Johnson. “We cannot simply stand by idly and allow such an issue to wreck havoc on our communities. We must act now, with deliberate speed, to guarantee access to treatment for all individuals suffering with mental illness. We must do it for our families and our communities.”

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Kessler Park, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, South Dallas & South Oak Cliff; all of Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Ferris, Glenn Heights, South Grand Prairie, Oak Lawn, Ovilla, Uptown/Victory Park and West Dallas.