Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 2814 RAPPORT | Feature Story r. Natalie Cort is highly creden- tialed, passionate about social justice, a woman of color, has significant clinical research expertise and is fully dedicated to remedying the lack of racial/ ethnic diversity in the field of mental health. Though rife with disparities in the quality of care provided to minorities, the depth and breadth of the system’s needs seem not to frighten her. She says, “I’m thrilled to be ac- tively involved, with my amazing colleagues in the Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health at ����tv, in shaping our journey towards recognizing the excellence that is achieved through diversity.” Cort has been selected to chair, with President Covino, the Black Mental Health Initiative, a multifaceted effort to recruit and retain Black individuals as faculty, staff and students at the College. Cort states that “Our institution needs to be integrated at every level.” A critical part of the Initiative is an emerging academic pipeline program, the Black Mental Health Graduate Academy, designed to provide mentorship and support to Black individuals interested in seeking graduate degrees in mental health counseling and psychology at ����tv. “This is broader than just assuring there are more Black therapists,” says Cort, though only five percent of psychologists across the country are Black. “People make decisions from their own perspectives,” she explains. “Therefore, we need to pro- mote an awareness of biases inherent in our perspectives and an appreciation for diverse perspectives.” Cort understands the re- search on this issue. She quotes studies that indicate Black children are far less likely to be accurately diagnosed with problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and autism spectrum conditions. “Too many children are getting expelled, suspended and labeled as oppositional and defiant. Children are not getting the right kind of treatment because their psychiatric issues are misidentified,” she says. “The field is replete with people of color being written off as ‘crazy’ or ‘bad.’ The bias is pervasive.” The former research scientist whose fellowships, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, focused on racial/ethnic disparities in mental health, credits ����tv for having taken a leadership role towards addressing and remedying what she calls “the huge, dangerous, cruel, devastating disparity.” Cort says “there are many people of color diagnosed with schizophrenia and involuntarily com- mitted to psychiatric hospitals who do not have schizophrenia.” The Black Mental Health Graduate Acad- emy Cort is spearheading incorporates best practices for supporting Black graduate stu- dents. “It’s important to find someone with whom you feel a sense of mutuality. People need role models and mentors to provide academic and career support. We will create enrichment programs culturally tailored to fill any gaps created by educational dis- advantages in order to promote students’ success in graduate school. Cort grew up steeped in Afro-Caribbean and East Indian cultures in Guyana, South America, where she says academic D I’m using my passion, skills and expertise to support talented people as they pursue their dreams. —Natalie Cort, PhD, Director, Black Mental Health Initiative & Graduate Academy