ATLANTA - The Department of Corrections announced today that it will observe National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month by engaging in activities to increase the public's knowledge of access to mental health treatment and services for multicultural communities. DOC will host a public forum entitled, Stop the Stigma, Silence the Shame: Mental Health and the Minority Communities, on Thursday, July 30, 2015 from 6-8 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers.
The free panel discussion will be hosted by DOC mental health supervisor Dr. Tracey Elam and feature a panel of mental health experts including Pat Strode, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program Administrator at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); Dr. Robert O. Cotes, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Director of Psychiatry Residency Education at Emory University School of Medicine, and Medical Director for 13A Inpatient Unit at Grady Memorial Hospital; Dr. Kelly L. Coffman, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine; and survivor/advocate Ashley Smith.
"It is a natural fit for the Department of Corrections to promote National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month because we serve a large minority inmate population, many of whom are suffering from a variety of mental illnesses," said Chief Patrick Labat. "In 2014, of the 7,400 inmates at the Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC) who were evaluated for mental health issues, 80 percent were African American.
We would rather have individuals with mental illnesses seek the professional help they need to recover instead of functioning without treatment and potentially engaging in risky or unlawful behaviors that could land them in jail."
Additional programs during Minority Mental Health Awareness Month include Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for local law enforcement agencies. The purpose of CIT training is to improve the way law enforcement and the community responds to people experiencing mental health crises. The 40-hour training, facilitated by Ms. Strode, will be held July 13-17 at the Atlanta City Detention Center; 254 Peachtree Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. each day.
"The best thing our community can do is to learn about mental illnesses, especially the chronic and persistent illnesses like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and autism," said Pat Strode, NAMI program administrator. "The CIT training will bring together men and women from law enforcement agencies across Metro-Atlanta to learn about the resources available before a crisis occurs."
During the month of July, the DOC is also sharing weekly stress tips and hosting workshops for its staff to help identify and cope with the stresses of working in a correctional environment.
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