Our September 10th Grand Rounds session, Dr. Velma McBride Murry presented "Advancing Behavioral Health Equity through Strength-Based, Culturally Tailored Family-Centered Programs". In this presentation, the focus is on developing a deeper understanding of the system and interpersonal barriers, as well as facilitators, that impact behavioral health help-seeking behaviors among Black/African American families. Additionally, it explored how to leverage culturally strength-based assets to address behavioral health disparities affecting Black/African American adolescents and their caregivers.
Dr. Velma McBride Murry, Associate Provost, Office of Research and Innovation, holds the Lois Autrey Betts Endowed Chair, and is a University Distinguished Professor in Departments of Health Policy [Vanderbilt School of Medicine] and Human and Organizational Development [Peabody College]. She is Past President of the Society for Research on Adolescence and incoming President of The International Consortium of Developmental Science Societies. McBride Murry is one of the 100 elected members to the 2020 Class of the National Academic of Medicine. She was recently appointed to the National Institutes of Health National Advisory Mental Health Research Council. Her research examines the significance of context to everyday life experiences of African American families and youth, focusing on processes through which racism, and other social structural stressors, cascade through families to influence parenting and family functioning, developmental outcomes, and adjustment among youth, during critical developmental periods from middle childhood through young adulthood.