PHO Rounds: Promoting Black Excellence

To commemorate Black Mental Health Week 2024, this Rounds will share findings from a Rapid Review on Mental Health Services and Programs with, and for, Black communities. Speakers will draw on key findings from the review, including strategies uncovered in the literature for reducing barriers to mental health care and promoting meaningful engagement of Black communities. Speakers will present findings in alignment with the ‘Five Priorities to End Disparities’, as highlighted in a community-led and community-informed report on Black health and well-being by the Black Health Alliance. The session will include a practice-based example led by CAMH’s Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY).

Intended audience: Public health practitioners, mental health service providers.

Note: For the best live experience, please ensure you are using a current version of Zoom (5.15.7 or higher) in Chrome or another modern browser to support interactive features.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the ways anti-Black racism in Canada has translated to detrimental outcomes and harms, including differential mental health outcomes for Black communities
• Discuss the diversity and characteristics of mental health services with, and for, Black communities
• Describe Black communities’ leadership and impact in designing and implementing mental health programs and services
• Explain examples of meaningful collaborations with Black communities when co-designing and co-implementing anti-racist and responsive mental health supports

About the presenter: Aklil Noza (left), Dr. Chantal Phillips (center), Kevin Haynes (right)

Aklil Noza, MScPH, has an avid research interest in health equity research and Black health program implementation. She holds an MSc Public Health from McGill University and an Honours B.A. in Health & Society from McMaster University. She is currently on the board of the Black Health Education Collective's Scientific Planning Committee for their Black Health Primer, a Canadian medical schools curriculum for introduction to Black health inequalities and historical anti-Black racism in the medical field. Aklil sees community-led care, grassroots organizing, and a reconfiguration of public funds that prioritizes Black working class communities as integral to mental health care.

Dr. Chantal Phillips, MD, is a first-year medical resident in the Family Medicine Stream of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Program at the University of Ottawa. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Toronto in June 2023. She has worked as a project manager, leading Black community health and mental health projects, for the past three years and is passionate about equitable and community-driven health solutions, with the overarching goal of increasing access to culturally responsive healthcare.

Kevin Haynes, MSW, RSW, is the Senior Manager, Black Health Strategy for the Provincial System Support Program (PSSP) at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He is responsible for leading the provincial expansion of the Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY), the first-ever Canadian hospital and community partnership focused on advancing care for Black youth. Kevin is also the Co-Chair of the Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Panel (MHAAP) with the Toronto Police Services Board where he provides leadership and makes recommendations to the Board related to monitoring and evaluating the implementation of Toronto Police Service’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

Information collected by Public Health Ontario (PHO) in this event is for the purpose of administering the event. This information is collected under PHO’s authority as articulated in the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion Act. The information you provide on this registration form is voluntary. If you have any questions about this event, please contact capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.

This event will take place through Zoom Video Communications, Inc. For more information regarding how Zoom handles your information, please visit www.zoom.com.

This event will be recorded. A copy of the recording will be published to PHO’s website to facilitate education and knowledge transfer.

PHO Rounds are approved for continuing medical education from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. PHO Rounds are also approved by Council of Professional Experience for professional development hours (PDHs) for members of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI). For more information, contact capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.

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Accessibility

Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.

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