Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impacts all communities, yet there are disparities in treatment and care specific to the African American community. These disparities occur throughout life from prenatal period through late adulthood. This talk will examine these unmet needs through the presentation of scientific data and case vignettes, addressing issues such as socioeconomic disadvantages, lack of medical education, and professional recognition. The speaker will discuss bias, mistrust in the system, and poor cultural understanding of African-American children's, adolescents', and adults' unique needs. The webinar will include an exploration of how each step in life is critical to development and how to bridge the gaps to deliver the best ADHD care possible. The presenter will discuss unique strategies for medication management and, conversely, non-pharmaceutical ways to improve outcomes for children, families, and individuals impacted by this neuropsychological disorder. The discussion will delineate behavioral interventions with cultural understanding that are useful and impactful.
Dr. Napoleon B. Higgins, Jr., MD is a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist in Houston, Texas. He is the owner of Bay Pointe Behavioral Health Services and South East Houston Research Group. Dr. Higgins received his MD from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and he completed his residency in Adult Psychiatry and his fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He is the Executive Director of the Black Psychiatrists of America, President of the Black Psychiatrists of Greater Houston, and Past President of the Caucus of Black Psychiatrists of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Higgins is co-author of Bree’s Journey to Joy: A Story about Childhood Grief and Depression, How Amari Learned to Love School Again: A Story about ADHD, Mind Matters: A Resource Guide to Psychiatry for Black Communities, and author of Transition 2 Practice: 21 Things Every Doctor Must Know In Contract Negotiations and the Job Search. Dr. Higgins has worked with countless community mentoring programs and has special interest in trauma, racism, and inner-city issues and how they affect minority and disadvantaged children and communities.
Annelle Primm, M.D., MPH is the Senior Medical Director of the Steve Fund, an organization focused on the mental health of young people of color. She is also a member of the Black Psychiatrists of America Council of Elders.
Parents, caregivers and professionals living with and providing care for individuals impacted by ADHD
