S4A researchers from Washington University in St. Louis study will provide an overview of their new project studying the impact of systemic racism on child mental healthcare and mental health equity on Wednesday, Dec. 11th at 10 am.

African-American families are disproportionately affected by barriers to preventative services leading to worsening socio-emotional, mental health, and physical health outcomes. This is especially true in St. Louis, Missouri, where a profound history of oppression, systemic racism, and mistrust have exacerbated mental health challenges.

The S4A team is using a mixed-methods approach with three service networks in St. Louis stemming from the Vision for Children at Risk to understand how to disrupt systemic racism as an obstacle to mental health treatment and other support services addressing social determinants of health (SDoH). Researchers will use focus groups and interviews with caregivers and providers in medical, social, and public health sectors as well as interviews with children to complement a policy assessment of service-providing organizations.

This one-year pilot study will be completed in partnership with Missouri Children's Division, St. Louis City and County Family Courts, St. Louis Housing Authority, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Family Forward, Almost Home, Epworth Children & Family Services, One Hope United, Annie Malone, United 4 Children, St. Louis City Department of Health, and local medical care systems.

__

This webinar is hosted by Systems for Action (S4A). S4A is a signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that is housed in the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy. S4A research builds a Culture of Health by rigorously testing new ways of connecting the nation’s fragmented medical, social, and public health systems.