May is usually the time we put the most focus on letting people know the importance of mental health care, but we are all walking the walk 365 days a year. While this work is demanding, we all remain dedicated to equitable and accessible care for anyone who may need it. Thanks to all that have planned events and community outreach for May, many of which are included in our calendar. The people we serve are better for it.

Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander month. Since 1990, the U.S. government has designated the month of May to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. The month of May was chosen to mark the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843. Visit this page to learn about challenges and resources related to these cultures.

Spotlight on Equity

LGBTQIA+ Policy and Guidance

Earlier this week, we sent out DMH’s newly revised LGBTQIA+ Nondiscrimination Policy.

This policy was first issued March of 2020 a few days before the COVID-19 pandemic. As this global pandemic comes to an end we’re refocusing on this very important work and policy. In collaboration with Area and Office of Inpatient Management leadership a few updates were made to the guidance to enhance and support the implementation of this policy. Some of the changes include; addition of more inclusive language, clearer language around names and pronouns, creating an affirming and safe environment and special considerations when working with children, youth and families. The policy and guidelines are grounded in LGBTQIA+ best practices for delivering culturally responsive care.

Moving forward, DMH intends to engage collectively across the DMH system to foster a culture of inclusion and equitable care. You can expect more LGBTQIA+ initiatives to occur throughout the coming year. Please review both documents and familiarize yourself with the requirements.

Please check your email for the full details, and feel free to reach out to either Dianelys Nunez from DMH’s Office of Race, Equity, and Inclusion, at Dianelys.nunez@mass.gov, or Jay Tallman, DMH Director of Policy, ay jay.tallman@mass.gov, with any questions about this policy or the guidelines.



Attend the Pride Parade in June!

DMH will be marching in the Boston Pride Parade on June 8. We have a few spots left for marchers - first come,first served. Please contact Dianelys.nunez@mass.gov if you'd like to march.

Southeast Area Annual Conference

The DMH Southeast Area held its Annual Conference on March 28th at White’s of Westport. This year’s theme was Advancing Equity. The day began with a greeting from Sue Plasse, Southeast Area Director and the introduction of the Keynote Speaker Crystal Collier, DMH Chief of Staff, to over 100 participants from all over the Southeast. Presentations included Nabila Irazarry-Martinez, PhD from William James College, “The Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice”; Gracie Rolfe, MSW, from Health Resources in Action, “Unpacking our Biases to Understand Health Equity”; and Nassira Nicola, PhD, Department of Public Health, “Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Service Standards: Action Steps Towards Equity”.

Crystal and Sue congratulated and presented awards to the Southeast Area LBGTQIA+ TaskForce members, Marc Cohen, Rachael Courington, Nicole Crellin, Suzanne Ellis, Kae Gisherman, Rafael Gracia, Kristol Granville, Carolyn Hall, Nicole Smith, Amy Whittemore and Matt Cianci and the Southeast Area REI (Race, Equity and Inclusion) Steering Committee members, Stephanie Almeida, Holly Calamese-Grazette, Melissa Costa, Jeanne Crespi, Tyra Jackson, Percy Lewis, Elizabeth Medeiros, Elena Robinson, Danielle Sullivan, Sharonne Taitt, Chris Tilden, Amy Whittemore and Matt Cianci for the hard work they do throughout the Southeast to raise awareness and promote change of equity and inclusion.

The conference was a huge success that could not have been possible without the dedicated and hard-working staff of the Southeast Area Learning & Development Team who put together the event: Stephanie Almeida, Christine Cordeiro, Carolyn Hall, Donna Jackson, Victoria Shokunbi, Ashley Bell and Robert Jacome.

Click the video thumbnail to view highlights from the 2024 SEA Annual Conference. Highlights created by Christine Cordeiro, LICSW, SEA Clinical Training Specialist.

May Trivia Contest

We continue our Celebration Trivia and invite you to test your knowledge for May is Mental Health Month and Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Ten winners will be randomly chosen from those with the correct answers. Prizes include DMH T shirts, sweatshirts and other swag.  (And yes, it’s OK to look up the answers as we are all trying to broaden our knowledge of these important occasions)

This month the contest is multiple choice.

• One in ___ American adults experienced a mental health condition in a given year
• One in ___ Americans have lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression
• True or False people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of a violent crime than the general population.
• True or false: Prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focuses on addressing known risk factors, such as exposure to trauma, that can affect the chances that children, youth, and young adults will develop mental health conditions. 
• What is the name of the 24/7 phone and text resource that is a service of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, operated by DMH and the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP).
• In celebration of May is Mental Health Month, Express Yourself is presenting their ____ annual performance on May 23 at the Boch Wang Theatre?
• Hawaii is home to the country’s highest percentage of Asian Americans, Pacific Islander Americans, and multiracial Americans compared to any other state. In what year did Hawaii become a U.S. state?
• The first large-scale immigration of Asians to the continental U.S. was when hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers arrived during the California Gold Rush (1848-1855). However, well before the Gold Rush, a smaller population of which ethnicity became the very first settlers in mainland Asian American history?
• Which of the following is NOT a U.S. territory in the Pacific?

Please submit your answers by Friday May 24. Winners will be contacted and announced in the June issue.

March Trivia Contest Winners!

Kudos to the 42 staff that entered the trivia contest posted in our March-April edition. 30 staff answered all of the questions correctly. Congratulations to the following 10 staff who were randomly chosen from those who got 100% correct: Eileen Wong, Christina Ryan, Gifty Lawer-Dodoo, Deborah Romero, Linda Wyndham, Felice De Ruggiero, John Varao, Ainsley Doherty, Laura DiCienzo, and Leen Martunas! You will be contacted and mailed some DMH swag!

Below are all of the answers to the contest.

February Trivia winner Melanie Schanche proudly wearing her DMH sweatshirt that was included in her prize pack!

In Case You Missed It

The nomination period is open for the Commonwealth's 40th Annual Performance Recognition Program (PRP). All staff are encouraged to please visit the updated PRP website to learn about the various performance awards and nominate your colleagues to honor the remarkable achievements of Commonwealth employees. This year's nomination cycle will run through May 31.

Email Michelle Cormier to get your upcoming event added on the events list.

New DMH logo Idea

We are looking to get feedback from a group of diverse staff for a new DMH logo idea. Once finalized, the logo will also be translated into multiple languages. At this time we would appreciate your feedback on the logo colors and design. 

Please take our 2 question survey. This should only take you a few minutes. Please respond by Friday May 24.

What would you like to know more about? Email us!