Since its founding, American Orthopsychiatric Association (AOA) has been at the forefront of working at the intersection of mental health and social justice. In (Shore & Mannino, 1975), former organization president and journal editor Milton Shore and Fortune Mannino wrote that the association had consistently held a philosophy that included (a) a commitment to an interdisciplinary approach in the study of mental health problems and the development of mental health programs; (b) an emphasis on prevention as well as treatment; (c) the integration of the clinical and the social; (d) a major focus on the social scene and its interweaving with mental health problems in individuals within society; and (e) an avoidance of dilettantism, superficiality, and well-meaning generalizations through a commitment to high-quality research, thoughtful analysis of mental health issues, and high professional standards of practice in all areas of mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChild trafficking is one of the most egregious violations of children's rights and well-being. In 2014, the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice formed a task force to focus on the issue. After completing two comprehensive reviews and consultations with experts in the field, the task force identified the need for a coherent framework, which conceptualized the primary prevention of child trafficking, which includes children vulnerable to being trafficked and becoming traffickers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApplying a human rights lens to mental health and well-being will improve the systems that govern and operate U.S. society.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Biden/Harris Administration faces many challenges, from systems and policies that do not work for or benefit all Americans to stark social and political divisions. Multiple courses of action will be necessary, and there must be commitment and investment for the "long haul." When considering the nation's challenges, overarching themes emerge that must be addressed.
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