NNED - National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health

Flourishing Together: Community-Led Initiatives for Black Youth and Families

February 18, 2025   |   3:00 pm EDT

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE) invites you to attend the 2025 Black History Month virtual event titled Flourishing Together: Community-Led Initiatives for Black Youth and Families on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm EDT.

In recognition of Black History Month, this webinar highlights how community-based organizations address behavioral health challenges experienced by African American youth and families. This webinar is an opportunity to celebrate the resilience and contributions of African American communities in shaping a more fair and just behavioral health landscape. Join us to honor Black History Month by learning, reflecting, and committing to continued promotion of mental health and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services for African American youth and families:

  • Explore innovative, community-driven approaches to prevention and treatment for African American youth. 
  • Learn about award-winning strategies to promote effective outreach and engagement. 
  • Understand the principles and processes involved in scaling effective interventions statewide. 

For further information or to request reasonable accommodation, e-mail by February 4, 2025: ABHE@abtglobal.com.  

Register Now!

Facilitator

Dr. Dawn Tyus

Director and Principal Investigator 

African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence 

Dr. Dawn Tyus (she/her) Dr. Dawn Tyus is the Director and Principal Investigator of the African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (CoE), and the Southeast Addiction Technology Transfer Center at Morehouse School of Medicine where she is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Online Education and Expanded Programs. As a Georgia Licensed Professional Counselor, Dr. Tyus has years of mental health experience working with adults, family, youth, and young adults and is committed to dedicating resources, efforts, and initiatives to enhance mental well-being for communities of color.

Dr. Tyus has earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s degree in Community Counseling, and a PhD in Counseling Studies. She is the owner of Everything Therapy, a mental health and wellness therapy practice created to help people find Happiness, Healing and Hope! Learn about the programs and resources at African American Behavioral Health CoE. 

Opening Remarks

Tenly Biggs, MSW, LMSW

Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Tenly Biggs (she/her) coordinates SAMHSA’s efforts to reduce disparities in mental and substance use disorders across racial, ethnic, LGBTQ+, and underserved populations. Before joining OBHE, she was the Grants Coordinator for the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the lead for the disparity impact statement and strategy (DIS) work pertaining to the access, service use, and behavioral health outcomes of discretionary grants at SAMHSA.

Tenly was the former primary and behavioral health care integration lead for CMHS grant programs. Previously, at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health, Tenly was the mental health lead and provided technical assistance in achieving health equity for health plans, health systems and networks, hospitals, and primary care providers. She also updated CMS’ Disparity Impact Statement for health plans and providers to review their disparities data and create an action and implementation plan to close the identified gaps.

Speakers

Adam Livingston Bates

Director and Principal Investigator 

African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence 

Adam L. Bates (he/him) is a serial social entrepreneur and master trainer and curriculum specialist, in the areas of Strategic Planning, Data-Driven Urban Marketing and Pedagogical Innovation (Curriculum Design). He is currently serving as Senior Director of Training & Technical Assistance/Special Assistant to the Executive Director for the Prevention Partnership, Inc. Utilizing a trauma-informed lens, he has co-facilitated workshops and presentations on the state, regional and national level for CADCA, SAMHSA, CDC and others.

Mr. Bates is a certified Data-Driven Marketing Specialist from Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. Mr. Bates holds a certificate in Education Technology Design and Innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. He is the CEO of A L Bates Consulting, a fund development and urban marketing agency located in Justice, IL. Learn about Prevention Partnership.  

Dr. Josalin Hunter, LCSW, MSW, MPH

Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion 

Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. 

Dr. Josalin Hunter (she/her) is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Coastal Horizons. She also teaches as tenured part-time faculty at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is a practicing licensed clinical therapist. Dr. Hunter  has over 30 published articles in peer-reviewed academic journals, a chapter presenting a clinician’s perspective on the way trauma shows up in classrooms and has presented at professional conferences nationally and internationally.

Dr. Hunter holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana, dual master’s degrees in social work and public health from University of Missouri Saint Louis and Emory University- respectively, and a doctorate in Health Promotion and Behavior from University of Georgia’s College of Public Health. Learn about Coastal Horizons.

Albert L. Orsello

Executive Director and Co-Founder 

The Prevention Partnership, Inc. 

Albert Orsello (he/him) is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Prevention Partnership Inc. and has over 30 years professional experience in educational program design, implementation, and evaluation. He has used his skills to establish nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis/Saint Paul and Chicago that focus on prevention and health promotion. Under his leadership, Chicago-based Prevention Partnership is now viewed as a pioneer in establishing grassroots schools and community-based prevention and health promotion programs.

Mr. Orsello has also served as Assistant Director of The Urban Initiative for the Midwest Region through a project of the DOE, and Co-Chaired the Chicago Chamber of Commerce Drug Free Workplace Committee. He is currently a member of the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership School Age Committee. Learn about offerings from Prevention Partnership. 

Altha Stewart

Senior Associate Dean for Community Health Engagement 

University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) 

Altha Stewart (she/her) serves as Senior Associate Dean for Community Health Engagement at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Dr. Stewart is also the founding director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being and director of Public and Community Psychiatry at UTHSC. Over a nearly 40-year career, she led several large public mental health systems (New York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania) before returning home to Memphis. Dr. Stewart is the president of the American Association for Community Psychiatry and past president of Black Psychiatrists of America and Association of Women Psychiatrists.

Dr. Stewart is the recipient of numerous awards, including the C. Charles Burlingame Award from the Institute of Living in 2023 and the prestigious Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Pardes Humanitarian Prize in Mental Health in 2022. Dr. Stewart completed her residency at Drexel University in Philadelphia, after receiving her medical degree from Temple University Medical School, where in 2023 she was named Distinguished Alumnae. Learn more about Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being.  Prevention Partnership. 

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