Strategies for Building a Thriving Safer Community, presented by Ms. Karla McDay of Kindred Spirit Behavioral Health on Friday March 7th from 9am-Noon.

Hear examples of culturally specific, evidence-informed strategies to develop conditions at the individual, community, institutional, and systemic levels for safety and thriving. Hosted by The Center for Optimal Thought, Kindred Spirit Behavioral Health, the Alexandria People’s Assembly, and the Virginia State Chapter of The Association of Black Psychologists Inc.

On Friday, March 7, 2025, Ms. McDay will provide examples of KSBH services, philosophy, and its partnerships with community stakeholders. Participants will learn how optimal psychology is used to promote an effective and evidence-informed approach to healing and demonstrates a collective work and responsibility framework that targets  health disparities and outcomes, mass incarceration, school to prison pipeline. 

For example, the school-based program team includes a therapist and case managers who provide wrap around services to identified students and their families. The team attends school staff meetings, conducts a needs assessment of the building and staff, and provides professional development workshops as identified. 

This is direct qualitative feedback from Ohio area schools that have implemented a KSBH school based mental health program:

* Reduction in out of school suspensions and expulsions 

* Reduction in behavior incidents 

* Increase in parental involvement 

* Improvement in classroom behavioral management 

* Improvement in academic performance 

* Increased knowledge and practice of cultural competence 

* Increase knowledge, understanding, and acknowledgement of mental health 

* Increase in timely recognition and referrals to appropriate providers.

KSBH is building the just, sacred, sustainable community we all deserve to live in. 

Hosted by The Center for Optimal Thought, Kindred Spirit Behavioral Health, the Alexandria People’s Assembly, and the Virginia State Chapter of The Association of Black Psychologists Inc. 

Kindred Spirit Behavioral Health is a community-based mental health agency accredited by the Joint Commission and certified by the State of Ohio to provide prevention, outreach, advocacy, and comprehensive culturally specific mental and behavioral health services. KSBH’s service delivery philosophy is rooted in African/Black psychology. Specifically Optimal Psychology (OCT), a theory and practice developed by Dr. Linda James Myers. Optimal psychology considers the impact and influence that various forms of oppression at the individual, institutional, and systemic levels have on mental health and wellness. In 2023, Dr. Tania Lodge resigned as clinical director for the Minority Behavioral Health Group, to begin KSBH. Today, KSBH has over 80 community members certified and employed as Qualified Behavioral Health Specialists at three Kindred Spirit Behavioral Health locations across the state. KSBH has partnerships with the local school districts, Court of Common Pleas, and other community agencies that are fostered to educate, support and provide training on the psychological impact that racism and racial trauma has on diagnosing, interventions, and treatment. 

Session Objectives:

• Hear examples of culturally specific, evidence-informed strategies to develop conditions at the individual, community, institutional, and systemic levels for sustainable safety and thriving.

CE Objectives

• Participants will increase their knowledge of Optimal Psychology and its application in several settings. 
• Participants will be able to identify optimal mindsets
• Participants will be able to identify suboptimal mindsets 
• Participants will be able to contrast optimal versus suboptimal mindsets 
• Participants will increase knowledge and insight into developing culturally specific community collaborations.
• Participants will increase their knowledge of the culturally specific and evidence-informed strategies targeting various forms of oppression at individuals
• Participants will increase their knowledge of the culturally specific and evidence-informed strategies targeting various forms of oppression at the community level

This program is sponsored by The Virginia State Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists Inc. VA-ABPsi is a psychological association recognized by the profession or providers approved by such an association. VA-ABPsi maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This site is wheelchair-accessible .and clearly identified. For accessibility / accommodations needs, please email educationandtraining@abpsi.org by 1 March 2025, or call the national office 301.449.3082.

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