Honoring Black Contributions to Behavioral Health:

Joycelyn Elders, M.D.

Dear Colleagues,

As we celebrate Black History Month, in honor of the contributions of Black psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, doctors, nurses, community leaders, and activists who dedicated their lives to behavioral health and allowed us the opportunity to continue their critical work, CBHA would like to recognize Black pioneers of behavioral health.

The first of whom CBHA would like to honor is Joycelyn Elders, M.D.

Joycelyn Elders was born Minnie Lee Jones on August 13, 1933, in Schaal, Arkansas. Dr. Elder's family worked on a [1] farm as sharecroppers, and she was the eldest of eight children. Early on, Dr. Elders showed immense academic ability, becoming valedictorian of her school class, and in 1949, she earned a scholarship to Philander Smith College. She took the name Joycelyn while attending school there. She was the first in her family to attend college and initially intended to become a lab technician.

After attending a lecture by Edith Irby Jones, the first woman to attend the University of Arkansas Medical School (later the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences), [2] Elder decided to become a physician.

Dr. Elders joined the U.S. Army's Medical Specialist Corps, serving in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1956, she entered the University of Arkansas Medical School on the G.I. Bill. In 1960, she married Oliver Elders, whom she had met in Little Rock while performing physical exams for the Horace Mann High School basketball team he coached. The couple has two sons.

Throughout Dr. Elders's extensive career, minority health issues were a focus, notably when then-Governor Clinton appointed her to head the Arkansas Department of Health, during which she led the establishment of an internal Office of Minority Health within the Arkansas Department of Health. 

In January 1993, President-elect Clinton nominated Dr. Elders to the post of U.S. Surgeon General, tapping her as the second African American for a Cabinet-level position. However, many politicians immediately opposed her nomination, particularly in regard to her views on abortion.

Dr. Elders was the first African American and the second woman to be sworn in as the U.S. Surgeon General. During her tenure as Surgeon General, Dr. Elders advocated for universal health coverage and comprehensive health education, including sex education in schools. Unfortunately, Dr. Elders was asked to resign 15 months into her term due to opposition to her views on drug legalization, sexuality, and the distribution of contraception in schools [3]. Dr. Elders went on to be the first person in the state of Arkansas to become a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist and conducted extensive research on growth and diabetes in youth and issues related to teen pregnancy and congenital abnormalities. Currently, Dr. Elders is a professor emeritus at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences [4].

CBHA is honored to continue the work of Joycelyn Elders, M.D. as we advocate for public policy initiatives that create system change and equity in behavioral health for diverse communities across California.

In Service,

Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

CBHA Welcomes Two New Staff Members!

CBHA continues to work hard to advocate on behalf of our members and the behavioral health community at large, supporting equity, access to care, and a comprehensive behavioral health system. To help further that mission, CBHA is excited to announce the addition of two new staff members to our team!

Autumn M. McCreary joins CBHA as our Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager after serving extensively in the California State Assembly, first as a Principal Clerk and most recently as a Legislative Director. Autumn previously worked as an Associate Governmental Program Analyst for CalPERS in their Customer Account Services Division, Policy & Compliance Unit. Autumn received her B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Patricia Moreno-Gonzalez joins CBHA as a Policy Fellow experienced in higher education policy and mental health reform, with a record of legislative affairs in local, state, and federal advocacy. They are the Former Vice Chair of the UC Student Association Board of Directors and Assistant Director of Government Relations at the Associated Students of UCR with a B.A. in Political Science. They are committed to elevating comprehensive mental health and substance use policies from the perspective of a first gen, non-binary, and by-product of immigrants.

Please join us in warmly welcoming the new members of the CBHA team as we work to support behavioral health services in California!

CBHA is hiring! If you or someone you know is interested in joining a dynamic and energetic team and being part of the meaningful mission of advocating to protect behavioral health funding and improving policy, please see the job description for our Communications and Public Relations Manager linked below.