NAMI Ask the Expert: Failing Another Test in Addressing Mental Health Disparities OD030

An on-demand video and transcript of the presentation are available here [opens in new tab].

About The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They are an alliance of more than 650 local Affiliates and 49 State organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education to people with mental illness and their loved ones. Through awareness, advocacy and education, NAMI is committed to building stronger communities and a better future for everyone affected by mental illness.

Course Summary

Practice Level: Beginner

This course, based on the Ask the Expert webinar series by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), examines why U.S. systems continue to “fail another test” in addressing mental health disparities and what it takes to achieve equity. Drawing from Dr. Altha J. Stewart’s presentation, the course explores the role of structural racism and social determinants of health, stigma and misdiagnosis, cultural humility, and trauma-informed practice in shaping mental health outcomes. It also considers community-partnered interventions and crisis response models that can reduce harm and improve engagement across underserved communities.

The course, with an intended audience of social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors, then presents evidence-informed strategies rooted in cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and equity-oriented systems changes that align with the ethical and practice competencies of mental health professionals serving diverse populations.

Course Format

This course contains a participant guide, practice test, and on-demand video. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Define structural racism and key social determinants that drive mental health disparities.
2. Explain how cultural humility and trauma-informed approaches can reduce diagnostic and engagement disparities in care.
3. Analyze crisis-response and community-collaboration scenarios to select equity-centered strategies.

Course Syllabus

• Structural Racism & the Social Determinants of Mental Health
• Stigma, Access, Cultural Humility & Literacy
• Trauma Lens, Misdiagnosis & Youth Justice
• Crisis Response & Community Collaboration

Current References

Baltazar, A., & Bang, B. L. (2025). Ameliorating mental health emergencies: Crisis Intervention Teams in police departments. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-025-09729-7[opens in new tab]

Campbell, B. M. (2003). Sometimes my mommy gets angry. Puffin Books.

Campbell, B. M. (2005). 72 hour hold. St. Martin’s Press.

Compton, M. T., & Shim, R. S. (Eds.). (2015). The social determinants of mental health. American Psychiatric Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9781615378470[opens in new tab]

Hoffman, K. M., Trawalter, S., Axt, J. R., & Oliver, M. N. (2016). Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between Blacks and Whites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(16), 4296–4301. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516047113[opens in new tab]

Kisa, A., & Kisa, S. (2025). Structural racism as a fundamental cause of health inequities: A scoping review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 24, 257. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02644-7[opens in new tab]

Peters, R. L., Fine, J., Newton, H., Dalack, G. W., Watson, A., & Hassmiller Lich, K. (2026). Mobile crisis effectiveness: A systematic review and associated functions and forms framework. BMC Health Services Research, 26, 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-13806-2[opens in new tab]

Tittensor, L., Mudaledu, V., & Osborne, J. (2025). Cultural humility training in mental health service provision: A scoping review of the foundational and conceptual literature. Healthcare, 13(11), 1342.https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111342[opens in new tab]

Zhu, P., Chen, C. C., Wang, Q., Luke, M. M., & Liu, Y. (2025). Item response theory analysis and measurement invariance testing of the Cultural Humility and Enactment Scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 58(1), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2024.2344000[opens in new tab]

Zhu, P., Luke, M. M., Wang, Q., & Liu, Y. (2025). Relational processes of cultural humility in counseling: A structural equation modeling study. Journal of Counseling & Development, 103(1), 71–85.https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12539[opens in new tab]

Instructors

Dr. Altha J. Stewart

Dr. Altha J. Stewart is Senior Associate Dean, Community Health Engagement at UT Health Science Center-Memphis, Chief of Social/Community Psychiatry, and Director, Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth. She served as the 145th President of the American Psychiatric Association, the first African American ever elected to this position. Prior to this she served for decades as CEO/Executive Director in large public mental health systems in Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan.

A native of Memphis, Dr. Stewart received her medical degree from Temple University Medical School, completing her residency at what is now Drexel University. She has received honorary degrees from Regis College (MA) and Christian Brothers University (TN). She is past president of the Black Psychiatrists of America, Association of Women Psychiatrists and American Psychiatric Foundation, and recipient of the Black Psychiatrists of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nicole Errickson, LCSW

Nicole is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Georgia. She brings over 19 years experience in the social work field, primarily working in school systems as a school social worker and with the McKinney-Vento grant. Over her career, Nicole has had several opportunities to help develop and execute professional development events. Nicole has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/8/24-8/8/27.

Social workers completing this course receive 1 cultural competency continuing education credits.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.