Finding solutions to workforce challenges is an ongoing need in SAMHSA HHS Region 3. To this end, the Central East MHTTC, in partnership with the Annapolis Coalition, launched the Achieving Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Recruitment and Retention Learning Community on December 13, 2023. Twenty-four behavioral health professionals representing eight select Maryland and Pennsylvania organizations will receive 52 hours of virtual intensive technical assistance. The objective of the Learning Community is to assist the organizations with incorporating and sustaining practical strategies for increasing diversity and strengthening equity and inclusion within their respective agency’s workforce. At the conclusion of this seven-month initiative, participants will be able to:

• Describe some of the issues experienced by underrepresented candidates and employees in the workplace
• Recognize the importance of building and sustaining a workplace that is representative of the community served
• Implement DEI strategies tailored to agency needs
• Track and utilize data collected to assess the impact of the implemented DEI strategies

The Annapolis Coalition is a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for individuals and society by strengthening the effectiveness of all who work to prevent, treat or support   recovery from mental illness and substance use conditions. Manuel Paris, Psy.D. is leading this Learning Community. Dr. Paris is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, Deputy Director of Hispanic Services at the Connecticut Mental Health Center, and a Senior Consultant to the Annapolis Coalition.