Welcome from the MayaTech Corporation

By Ina A. Ramos, Ph.D.
MFP Project Director, The MayaTech Corporation


The Minority Fellowship Program Coordinating Center (MFPCC) is happy to welcome the 2023-2024 cohort of MFP fellows and any new readers to the MFP E-Newsletter. The MFPCC supports the MFP program through training, technical assistance, and resource dissemination to the MFP grantee organizations (the Foundation for the Advancement of Human Systems—formerly the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; the American Nurses Association; the American Psychiatric Association; the American Psychological Association-Traditional and Interdisciplinary; the Council on Social Work Education; the National Board for Certified Counselors; and the Association for Addiction Professionals and their fellows. The support is designed to increase the substance abuse and mental health workforce in underserved communities. The MFPCC maintains the MFPCC website, publishes the Fellow of the Month series, develops, disseminates the quarterly MFPCC E-Newsletter, and conducts a webinar series for the MFP community. More information on our planned activities for this year is below.

Fellow of the Month
The Fellow of the Month (FoM) series profiles current and alumni MFP fellows, who are self-nominated or recommended by one of the MFP grantee organizations or other MFP-related professionals, and shines a light on their backgrounds, goals, and accomplishments. The profile is disseminated through the MFPCC Listserv and posted to the homepage of the MFPCC website. If you are interested in recommending a FoM, please send an email with the nominee's name and contact information. If you are interested in nominating yourself, you may use one of the following links to complete the profile: Current Fellows or Alumni Fellows.

E-Newsletter
The MFPCC E-Newsletter is an online quarterly publication that features articles written by local and national experts in their fields. Each issue includes two feature stories on topics of concern to substance use and mental health practitioners serving ethnic minority populations and/or describe current SAMHSA initiatives. Previous E-Newsletters can be accessed online. The issue also includes professional development opportunities and current news and views. In addition to articles, the E-Newsletter includes highlights of the MFP grantee organizations and current and alumni fellows. Are you conducting innovative research? Have you presented or published? Have you or your organization been recognized for your achievements? Let us highlight you in the MFPCC E-Newsletter! Submit your MFP highlights and accomplishments.

Webinars
From February to July, the MFPCC hosts an exciting webinar series that provides grantees and fellows with insight on emerging trends as well as promising, best, and evidence-based practices that support the resilience and emotional health of underserved minority communities. Webinars are scheduled the fourth Wednesday of each month from 2:00-3:30pm Eastern. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for these informative sessions. The tentative webinar schedule follows.

  • Suicide prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth: Unpacking the 2023 Resource Guide - February 28, 2024
    This webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to learn about tools and resources used to strengthen the programs and services that address the growing need of mental health treatment for LGBTQIA2S+ youth.
  • Creating Emotionally Safe Environments in Therapy - March 27, 2024
    This webinar will give participants the opportunity to learn about ways to address resistance and to create emotionally safe environments to ensure safe and effective treatment.
  • MFP Community Connections (Fellow Presented Webinar)
    Culturally Informed Emotionally Focused Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families of Color - April 24, 2024
    This webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to engage with other fellows and learn about their Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program research team and community connections.
  • Evolving Health Practices: The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Telehealth - May 22, 2024
    This webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to learn about the evolving landscape of healthcare practices, focusing on the integration of AI and telehealth.
  • Men's Mental Health - June 26, 2024
    This webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to help raise awareness about mental health disorders that disproportionately impact men. It will provide insight into addressing the unique challenges that men may face regarding their mental health and find ways to reduce stigma surrounding mental health disorders among men.
  • Exploring the Role of Overdose Prevention Centers in Harm Reduction - July 24, 2024
    This webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to learn about how overdose prevention centers (OPCs) are used to enhance crisis response and provide services that reduce the negative impact of serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, substance use disorder, and co-occurring disorders.

We welcome your ideas on how to enhance the existing resources and activities that the MFPCC supports, as well as new ideas on how to improve communications across the MFP and meet the evolving professional development needs of the MFP fellow community related to strengthening their skills as behavioral health professionals. You can reach us via email. To learn more about the MFP, please visit the SAMHSA MFP page. MFP fellows and alumni are encouraged to access the MFPCC website.

Welcome to the MFP community!