Fall 2009

DIVERSITY COMMITTEE REPORT

Submitted by Dr. Max Camarillo, Ph.D.
Chair, MBPA Diversity Committee
(831) 429-5826
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(My apologies for not sending this announcement to the listserv in time for members to make plans to attend. --Jenny Kaupp)

I want to take this opportunity to inform you about an annual continuing education conference that focuses on cultural competencies for professionals, consumers/clients, and communities in California. It is the "2009 Cultural Competence & Mental Health Summit XVI: Embracing Social Justice and Equity to Build Healthier Communities." 

It takes place this month in San Mateo county; November 17 and 18 (Tuesday & Wednesday) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Burlingame. The conference/summit has an ambitious agenda but the three conferences I have attended, two in the 1990s and one in 2002 were excellent and well worth attending.

These conferences are organized by the county mental health programs/services along with the State of California Department of Mental Health's multicultural services office and alternate the annual location between Southern California and Northern California.  Thus, the audience for the conference/summit is largely public providers and consumers. 

The presenters are local, state and nationally recognized mental health professionals with multicultural competencies and expertise.  Continuing education credits are offered for most of the presentations/workshops.  Information/registration about the conference/summit can be found on the San Mateo County Health/Behavioral Health and Recovery Services website at: www.smhealth.org/bhrs

Unfortunately, the registration/ce fees are almost $400.00 and probably many of the attendees have the fees paid by their public employers and agencies. 

I would like to propose that MBPA send at least one or two members of the Board of Directors, perhaps the President and President-Elect or their designee to these conferences to demonstrate our committment to increasing multicultural competencies in our own membership.  It is probably too late to accomplish this in time for the conference this year; however, we could plan on attending next year's if there is support for this proposal.  I invite your comments and feedback. 

Maximiliano Camarillo, Ph.D.
Chair, MBPA Diversity Committee