You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
The Community Mental Health committee was developed to provide support to clinicians working in community-based organizations. With the demands of documentation and limited resources, the space to think clinically while working with historically marginalized populations can be restricted. By offering events, the CMH committee creates room for psychoanalytically informed thinking, networking with like-minded individuals, and fun to maintain energy for this challenging yet important work.
The events of this past year had a significant impact on those served by community mental health agencies in many forms, not limited to racism and financial stress. Though not new to those we serve, events were formed for clinicians to engage others to think deeply and critically. This year saw the return of the Clinical Consultation groups facilitated by Donna Moriguchi and Sandy Frucht for community mental health clinicians to discuss cases through the year. Reading groups resumed as well. In Fall 2020, clinicians met to discuss a chapter in anticipation for the NCSPP Annual Lecture with David Eng from Racial Melancholia, Racial Dissociation, which was facilitated by Deborah Kim and Geetali Chitre. In the spring, Andrea Chan and Reem Abu Hweij facilitated a conversation on materials from Lara Sheehi and Leilani Salvo Crane to examine intersectionality, decentering Whiteness, and finding a mutual space in and outside the therapy room. With the need for self-care, clinicians met in Tilden Park for a socially distanced hike in the spring.
Many thanks go to committee members Andrea Chan. Geetali Chitre, and Hoa My Nguyen for their dedication, ideas, and collaborative spirit. Andrea Chan will be leaving the committee this year but will remain connected to the community.