CFS Chair Mario Hernandez Elected as President of the Board of the National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Association
Congratulations to CFS Chair Mario Hernandez, who has been unanimously elected as President of the Board of the National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Association (NAMBHA), a non-profit organization representing four racial/ethnic behavioral health associations. NAMBHA works to bring organizations representing diverse people of color together as a single voice to increase the effectiveness of advocacy, ensure a positive impact on the use of resources, and to collectively share expertise on behavioral health issues that significantly affect people of color.
A leader in the field of children’s mental health research, Dr. Hernandez has focused much effort toward improving access to services for culturally and linguistically diverse children and families who are underserved and/or inappropriately served in the mental health system.
“I am proud to serve an organization so dedicated to eliminating disparities in behavioral health services,” said Dr. Hernandez. “I look forward to working with the board in sharing the message that to provide successful services for racially/ethnically diverse populations, mental health service providers must acknowledge and incorporate the importance of culture, race, and ethnicity at all levels of functioning and treatment.”
As the President of the Board, Dr. Hernandez will provide leadership and direction in pursuit of NAMBHA’s stated mission and goals. He will lead NAMBHA through its first strategic planning and business development process, and also, along with the Executive Director of NAMBHA, Mareasa R. Isaacs, PhD, represent the organization at key meetings with the media funders, policymakers, and donors.
NAMBHA’s four affiliate organizations are the:
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA)
- National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA)
- National Leadership Council on African American Behavioral Health (NLC)
- First Nations Behavioral Health Association (FNBHA)
Funding and support from the leadership of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is directly linked to the formation of each of these groups. NAMBHA, itself, received support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland, for its initial development.
NAMBHA headquarters are located in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. For more information about NAMBHA and its Board of Directors, please feel free to contact staff at (301) 946-0027 or visit the NAMBHA website at www.nambha.org.