3rd National Black Mental Health Conference: “Rooted in Legacy, Rising in Justice”

The third edition of the National Black Mental Health Conference marks a crucial step forward. The theme “Rooted in Legacy, Rising in Justice” honours accumulated knowledge and affirms the strength of Black identities and cultures, while underscoring the urgent need for antiracist and equitable approaches to mental health care.

Building on the momentum of the 2022 conference, this edition advances a more action-oriented and rigorous scientific vision. It offers a unique space to examine current challenges, share innovations, and collectively identify pathways toward racial and social justice in mental health.

Learning objectives: 

1. Present the scientific advances on Black mental health in Canada, highlighting the impacts of racism, microaggressions, complex racial trauma, and social determinants.
2. Analyze the persistent barriers to care access, including discrimination in services, lack of adapted care, and insufficient training of professionals. 
3. Showcase promising practices and initiatives that have demonstrated concrete success in improving Black mental health. 
4. Promote the dissemination of antiracist and culturally adapted practices in care, community interventions, and professional training. 
5. Highlight the specific realities of the most vulnerable subgroups. 
6. Create an interdisciplinary space for dialogue, bringing together researchers, clinicians, community leaders, and people with lived experience to explore tangible solutions.

Registration: 

Fee: 

• General admission: $280 
• Student admission: $150 

Deadline: April 8, 2026

Keynote Speakers: 

• Wendi Williams, PhD, President of the American Psychological Association 
• Alex L. Pieterse, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for the Study of Race and Culture, Boston College
• Roberto Lewis Fernandez, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons 
• Vincent Agyapong, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Global Mental Health, Dalhousie University
• Charlemagne-Simplice Moukouta, PhD, Associate Professor (HDR) in Clinical Psychopathology and Intercultural Psychology, Université de Picardie Jules Verne
• Linda Iwenofu, PhD, C. Psych, Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto