Earlier this month, Laura Evans, the AVP of Public Policy & Government Affairs, and Katie Keys, the Public Policy Coordinator at Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant), attended the 53rd Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. The Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) is the leading public policy convening focused on issues impacting the Black community. Various stakeholders, from thought leaders to concerned citizens, convene to discuss and address critical issues such as Black maternal health disparities, assessing academic progress, and fostering civic engagement, among other issues. 

During the three-day convening, Laura and Katie attended numerous panels covering a variety of healthcare issues, including advancing access to innovative prevention and treatment options, overcoming healthcare bias, addressing disparities in Black maternal health, the role Black Greek life can play in fostering conversations about mental health, and ensuring health policy reflects the needs of Black people. They also attended panels on other social drivers of mental health, including the impacts of climate change and the need for environmental justice, the role food can play in addressing adverse health outcomes, the impacts of gun violence, and the needs of Black veterans. It was a wonderful time to connect with individuals across all sectors interested in improving policies and approaches to address the needs and concerns of the Black community.