Session Description: This workshop will explore the connections between behavioral health disparities, and culturally relevant substance misuse prevention. Behavioral health disparities pose a significant threat to the most vulnerable populations in our society. Whether presenting as elevated rates of substance use among American Indian/Alaska Natives, high rates of suicide among LGBT youth, or reduced access to quality health care among people living in rural areas, these disparities threaten the health and wellness of our society as a whole. To overcome systemic barriers that may contribute to disparities, prevention practitioners must develop and deliver prevention interventions in ways that ensure members of diverse cultural groups benefit from these efforts. To prepare practitioners for this work, this webinar explores the connections between behavioral health disparities and cultural relevant prevention approaches.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the connections between behavioral health disparities and culturally relevant prevention approaches
• Apply methods for identifying and addressing behavioral health disparities
• Identify approaches for building community-level readiness and capacity to address behavioral health disparities among identified sub-populations.

Rebecca Bishop, MA
She/Her/Hers
Project Director, Education Development Center
Ms. Bishop has over 14 years of experience working with underserved communities and reducing behavioral health disparities through outreach and engagement, training, and technical assistance (T/TA). Rebecca Bishop, an adaptable and transformational leader, specializes in initiatives to improve the health, mental health, and well-being of youth and high-risk populations. She brings expertise in mental health promotion, health equity, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, instructional design, community mobilization, and violence prevention and intervention. Bishop has a demonstrated history of applying a health and racial equity lens to substance use, youth development, violence and prevention, as well as mental health issues. A highly skilled public speaker and facilitator, Bishop Ms. Bishop is an experienced public speaker and facilitator whose expertise in building equity can be embedded in program development or adapted to fit diverse cultures, frames, and perspectives. Bishop holds an MA in Social Work, Health, and Mental Health Administration from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and has a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.