FEATURE STORY
Open Doors, Open Minds The Future of Behavioral Health BY MELANIE OTERO
B
ehavioral health is going through a tectonic shift. Just as the plates that make up Earth’s crust move sometimes away and sometimes toward each other, the events of the past two years have exposed system fractures in some places, yet brought residents, communities, and systems together in new ways. Three Palm Beach County community behavioral health professionals see promising opportunities to bridge the gaps and evolve for the future by addressing inequities, opening honest conversations, and integrating services throughout the community to meet people where they are.
TOWARD GREATER EMPATHY Kenya Madison, senior director of Healthier Delray Beach, sees the future of behavioral health like the menu at The Cheesecake Factory. “The list of options is long, and there is something for everyone, no matter who you are when you come to the table,” she said. Recognizing “who you are” is critical to behavioral health professionals in how they express empathy—the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person. Rorri Geller-Mohamed, LCSW, founder
“
Everything around a person impacts their mental health
”
of U Power Change, a diversity, equity, and inclusion organization, sees how awareness has shifted and empathy gaps have become ever more critical during the last two years following the murder of George Floyd and the COVID pandemic. “Much needed conversations around racism and inequities are finally becoming more commonplace and mainstream,” she said. Moving conversations from the sidelines to out in the open is a positive shift for the future of both policy and the practice of behavioral health according to Geller-Mohamed. “If we’re not able to feel what others are feeling, or connect with what they’re going through, our actions will not reflect that. White people
6
THE WELL OF PBC / FEB ISSUE 2022