On May 12, 2022, The Chicago School convened its first State of Mental Health Summit. The event was held in person at the Los Angeles Campus and streamed live to the Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Dallas Campuses. The goal of the summit was to identify inequities in health care, workforce wellness, and education and to spark a dialogue among faculty, alumni, and the community about how to address them.
As Michele Nealon, Psy.D., president of The Chicago School, said in her opening remarks, “We’ve brought together experts to share best practices, possible solutions, and insights into ways that we can improve mental wellness for all.”
Training clinicians that reflect the diversity of the population is a “moral imperative” for the university, Dr. Nealon says, and one it has deliberately and systematically addressed. While only 14% of members of the American Psychological Association are psychologists of color, The Chicago School has made significant efforts to advance diversity. Currently, among the 6,000 students enrolled, 62% are students of color, and the university trains one in 10 counselors and psychologists in California and one in every 11 in Illinois.
Holding the summit in person marked a return to daily life post pandemic, but many of the barriers to care described by participants highlighted disparities made worse by the pandemic and its side effects.
The summit featured panels on reimagining health care, workplace wellness, and mental health in schools, each moderated by faculty from The Chicago School, and each made up of alumni and experts from the public and private sectors, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Southern California Edison. The focus of the panels was on how mental wellness and self-care can mitigate the negative effects of stress that can arise from chronic illness, toxic workplaces, and uncertain learning environments. This approach reflects The Chicago School’s philosophy of No Health Without Mental Health, which was detailed in a report issued this year.
Dr. Nealon closed the summit by saying, “We understand the social determinants of health, and we waste the opportunity that is in this crisis if we don’t do something to improve outcomes for everyone.” This was the first State of Mental Health Summit, but it will not be the last. Through its continuing efforts to create diversity and its ongoing commitment to community and outreach, The Chicago School seeks to influence how the future of mental wellness is envisioned.
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