Summary

Consistent with the Global Agenda’s promotion of wellbeing through human relationships, this symposium shares evidence-based approaches to advancing equalities. The authors share their collaboration for the development of a mental health clinic in New York City committed to enhancing communities and promoting sustainable social wellbeing.\  Finding behavioral health care is a\ national crisis, while here in the first US pandemic epicenter we are in\ critical need of both care and clinicians. \ We present lessons learned in expanding services, enhancing partnerships, including identifying obstacles and opportunities in delivering mental health and addiction services to treat averse populations post-COVID, the organizational and technological mitigation strategies to strengthen systems, and the emerging workforce and instructional issues needing redress to promote diversity and inclusion. The papers will be in dialectic, underscoring the linkages and dependencies between issues.\ Paper #1:\ Using regulations \ for culturally responsive mental health services\ Drawing from national, local, community, and organization statistics, the presenters will address the need for community-based mental health services, including the barriers to and processes leading to state certification.Paper #2: \ Conceptualizing the hybrid clinicServices must move beyond in-person sessions and blend in-person, telephonic, and virtual modes of delivery. The presenters describe strategies to build individual and community capacity by\ addressing\ the shortage of clinicians and the lack of access to care.\ The presenters will draw from recent analysis of the benefits from each mode to help participants assess organizational needs.\ Paper #3: Diverse and inclusive recruitment for interns and staff—challenges and progress\ The COVID epidemic exacerbated challenges to inclusive recruitment of individuals with disabilities.\  The use of two interventions, Universal Design for Instruction and Universal Design for Learning, to increase access to and enhance environments for individuals living with a disability are elaborated using a case example and technological challenges to implementation addressed. \ \ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Mental health, addictions, underserved populations, , community based care, clinic certification, culturally responsive care, service delivery strategies, hybrid work, disability, universal design, diversity, equity and inclusion, technology

Summary

Drawing from national, local, community, and organization statistics, the presenters will address the emerging need for community-based mental health services. As well, given the short and long-term sequelae of New York City being the first COVID epicenter in the US, impact of the pandemic will be explored including expanded mental health need, operational and organizational infrastructure and systems changes, and the barriers to and processes leading to state certification is discussed. Lastly, drawing from experiences in delivery services in the ‘new normal’, authors will identify organizational change needs.\ Using agency based data, the authors will assist participates to 1) capture and report needs and trends in their organizations; 2) leverage internal statistics for organizational expansion; and 3) engage governmental stakeholders in planning.

Keywords (separate with commas)

clinic operations, mental health needs, post-pandemic mental health, organizational change

Summary

In a post-COVID context, services must move beyond traditional in-person sessions and incorporate a blend of in-person, telephonic, andvirtual modes of delivery (Zanagani et al., 2022), with each method offering advantages and disadvantages for recruitment and retention. The presenters describe strategies to build individual and community capacity by\ addressing\ the shortage of clinicians and the lack of access to care simultaneously.\ Drawing from recent analysis of the benefits from work-from-home (WFH), hybrid, and traditional models, participants will learn general considerations and approaches to 1) expand networks for recruitment; 2) resource and equip workers across the skill and experience spectrum; and 3) maintain employee engagement.\ Zangani, C., Ostinelli, E. G., Smith, K. A., Hong, J. S., Macdonald, O., Reen, G., ... \& Cipriani, A.(2022). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global delivery of mental health servicesand telemental health: systematic review.\ JMIR mental health,\ 9(8), e38600.

Keywords (separate with commas)

service delivery, mental health needs, post-pandemic mental health, organizational change, telehealth

Summary

The COVID epidemic exacerbated existing challenges related to inclusive recruitment of individuals with disabilities. The use of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are two interventions that increase access to and enhance environments for individuals living with a disability. The authors will explain Universal Design principles and, using a case example, explore technological challenges to their implementation.\ At the end of the presentation, participants will 1) understand Universal Design principles and their relationship to diversity, equityand inclusion; 2) recognize the similarities between UDI and UDL; and 3) how student interventions are consistent with developing a learning organization (Senge, 1990).Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization.

Keywords (separate with commas)

disability, accommodations, universal design, inclusion, challenges